Took 3 years of faffing about, following every guide to no avail.

The short of it is, have a 70yo godmother with a green thumb scolding you for not asking sooner

The short of it is – don't listen to any online guides (… is this an online guide?)

What DOES NOT work :

6-8" green stems during pre-flowering growth weeks

Even if you trim the base leaves

Even if you use growth enzymes, honey, spit, paprika … It does not work for lilacs – I tired, I tried every variations, it does not work

I discovered that Lilacs are a lot like Pando, they essentially branch out from underground roots to create new trees

I came closer with a guide saying you should take new shoots from the ground during the early growth weeks

This ALSO does not work.. even with every growth trick in the book, even with transparent plastic and airholes for a greenhouse effect

What DOES work :

Shoots, yes, but once they have hardened to wood, still thin, but a 2' – 2.5'(foot) tall "branch" – you'll want to dig around and make sure the underground trunk is sprouting roots in two directions, get yourself AT LEAST 6"(inches) of root

As such you can't exactly go digging about your neighbour's yard it in the middle of the night to clone their Syringa Vugaris Charles Joly or Syringa Vugaris Sensation … cough

Once you have your woody 'branch' – don't plant it with any other flower, keep it in a separate pot, OUTSIDE, out of direct sunlight but with plenty of water / rain available. Make sure your Pot drains, keep the earth moist.

I've noticed that if you plant your 'branch' with other plants, warfare happens – the other plants will immediately compete with your Lilac branch, choking it out, but growing rapidly in the process – so, hey, if you want faster growing Milkweed, do that.

Anyways

Now I know.

And anyone else struggling with Lilacs does as well.

Now for that Charles Joly…