I have a lilac tree that has deep purple flowers, but last year 1/3 of the tree also blooms white flowers.?

Someone told me to trim the white lilac flowers after it bloomed and then next year the whole lilac tree will bloom all deep purple flowers. This year, the tree seems to be blooming even more white flowers! How do I get the whole tree to bloom all purple flowers, as it should? It looks funny with some deep purple and some white. In past years, it was all deep purple. I have mulched it and put lyme to keep less acidic. Help?!

I have a lilac tree that has deep purple flowers, but last year 1/3 of the tree also blooms white flowers.?
It is because it has heterogeneous genes.


Sometimes it will bloom white, and sometime purple, because of the parents.
Reply:Is it possible that your tree was grafted? I have seen other trees that were grafted have some of the graft traits %26amp; some origional. If so and the origional was white, you would have to trim everything off below the graft.





I don't think two colors of flowers look funny. If it is viney, I would wind the t colors of branches together so I had a little of both colors all over. Right now I am dealing with a hybrid rose bush that has yellow, pink, and yellow with pink tips on the blooms of the same bush, in varying digrees of color saturation. Strange, but I love it.
Reply:If the white flowers repulse you, cut back those branches - not just the flowers (or mark them and trim later). It would be best to cut them late summer or fall so that you remove next year's white flower buds that form this season. It is possible you have 2 different plants growing together or it was grafted to have 2 colors on one plant. I don't think acidity affects lilac color (as it does hydrangea).
Reply:I believe that you have a tree that is a result of splicing. This is done in the effort to create new species.





Do not mess with the soil! Lilac are not affected by the acidity of the soil. They actually tend to like undernourished soil.





Now if you try to cut off the white flowers you run a risk that the shock could kill the lilac. Personally i would leave it alone. If you want a pure purple lilac buy and new one and ask if it is on it's own stock.





The following web site has lots of information.
Reply:In the begining of blooming they are deep colored as time goes on the blooms get lighter and lighter in color.


Mine started out deep purple too but then started turning lighter as the buds were getting older. Then they started turning brown and died off.


Is this what could be happening with your lilac bush?
Reply:I am learning something like this in biology at the min!


Its to do with the genes!


The tree must be heterzygous.(two types of allele) This means it can produce 2 colours.


For the tree to produce all the same coulour it must be homozygous.(one type of allele)


The make a homozygous tree(all purple) you must cross fertilise two homozygous.


This prob sounds confusin but i hope it helps:D
Reply:take a dirt sample in to be tested