Why Are Lilac Flowers Growing Underground?

Question

I have a mature 10 foot lilac and the flowers on the actual shrub are gone but I have lilac flowers popping up on the ground around it. I dug around the one and it was in flower around 4″ inches below the soil level and appears to be growing from a root. I noticed the biggest one nearly two weeks ago and it’s still in flower. Has anyone ever seen this and what caused this?

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Answer 1

Because of the way the crown is situated in lilacs (underground), and the flowering habit (on new wood) this can be a common occurrence. The soil has kept the area around the new shoots at a suitable temperature and moisture to produce flowers.

You can choose to leave the "suckers" or you can remove them. Either way will not harm the shrub. Removing them creates a more compact, tidy shrub. Leaving them creates a broader, more "shrubby" shrub.

Here are some articles that will give you more information about the plant:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/lilac