Why won't my lilac bloom?

Was the bush pruned at any time and if so when?

It sounds like it could be a sun problem- is it getting good sun exposure during the day? Lilacs need plenty of sun to bloom.

It could be that the soil is too wet- Sprinkle a cup or two of epsom salt around the weepline of the bush...good luck!

Nope, probably not enough sun near the oak...but my neighbor's lilac is only a few feet away and under HER oak. Maybe that bush gets a smidge more sun, but not enough that hers BLOOMS like crazy, and my lovely, bushy, green lilac DOESN'T!

Sometimes flowering shrubs and trees need distressing. Sounds weird but you should whack the base of your lilac with a rubber hose cut to size or a broom handle.

Here is a link to my website where I talk about growing Lilacs https://www.flowerpatchfarmhouse.com/how-to-grow-lilacs/

if you pick the flowers you must be careful where you trim it. sometimes in the wrong place will stop them from flowering the next year

I know sometimes they stop blooming when they are not properly pruned. It may need some old wood pruned out of the center to allow the new canes to breathe. Have a certified arborist come take a look.

The bush is not worth a trip from an expensive certified arborist...it's a BUSH, not an oak tree.

How old is your lilac? Mine didn't bloom for years!!

They need FULL sun to bloom. Also, in the shade the powdery mildew fungus is a problem and debilitates the plant. The leaves will have a gray spidery look, rather than being solid green. As for distressing, save your energy. The plant is already distressed because of powdery mildew and lack of sun. Also, if the lawn around the lilac is regularly fertilized the nitrogen in the fert will be promoting the growth of stems and leaves instead of flowers. Prune the shrub by removing the oldest trunks as close to ground level as possible, this makes room for new growth which will flower more. The older thicker trunks will be the tallest part of the plant, and will shade the younger, more slender trunks. Prune only 1/3 of the large, thick trunks in any one year. Also if high nitrogen is an issue the new growth will be succulent and more effected by the p. mildew. If the plant has adequate nutrients, but not excessive the leaves will be thicker and more resistant to p. mildew.

IT TOOk 4 years for mine to bloom. It likes acidic soil. IF you are liming your lawn that may be the problem.

good to know...will try that application.

I'll prune it this month...March...as soon as it gets above freezing! It's Wisconsin.

I'm going to guess five years...nah, it's been trying to produce flowers, and it gets maybe ONE each year. I really have to go out and smell that one bloom frequently and swear at the rest of the bush. Someone else mentioned fertilizer on the grass nearby, and yes, I'll blame my husband for that. (But again, our neighbors fertilize and their bush blooms...mine gets green, theirs blooms 10 feet away...grrrr.)