Home & Garden Trees & Houseplants

How to Kill Lilac Trees

By Home & Garden Last updated Tuesday, August/06/2024

1). Remove some of the soil from around the base of the tree with a shovel to make room for sawing. Cut down the lilac bush with a chainsaw or handsaw so the stump is flush with the ground.
2). Using a disposal paintbrush, paint a full-strength solution of 41 percent glyphosate over the surface of the trunk and any branches you cut, applying it while the cut is still fresh. Cover the surface liberally two or three times, letting the herbicide absorb after each application.
3). Watch the area for the next few weeks for the emergence of any new growth, and spray the leaves with the glyphosate herbicide. Spray any shoots the following spring, if any part of the original plant has new growth.