Lilacs blooming in October likely have fungal disease

Q: Why are these lilacs blossoming in late October in Fargo? — John N.

A: I can almost smell the fragrance from here! What a beautiful bouquet of lilacs.

Why are lilacs blooming in October? I’ve received no less than 50 emails over the past month, asking the same thing.

Although some lilac cultivars, such as Bloomerang, are repeat bloomers, and a light fall bloom is normal for them, when old-fashioned lilacs flower in fall, something is out of sync.

In almost all of the lilac photos I've studied, the foliage is diseased or has dropped prematurely, and the lilac flowers are sitting pretty in the midst of a dismal-looking shrub. As yet, I haven’t seen an old-fashioned lilac that’s blooming this fall with wonderfully healthy foliage.

All across the region this year, lilacs were affecte