Lilac in a shady spot

Hi there

My dear husband has cleared out an area of gravel in our garden and I now have the lovely dilemma of planting it. It gets morning sun for a few hours but is shady from noon onwards - do you think a lilac would cope with that? I'd like something like that for the height as well as the spring colours (I was thinking of Bellicent, one of the pink ones) . If not lilac, any recommendations? It is a clay soil, but I'm in the process of lightening it. and the position is very sheltered.
Any thoughts?

Alis

 

I have a lilac in exactly the spot you mention - possibly less sun actually and it is flourishing- and flowering now!. It was a "reject" plant from a Garden centre and looked pretty awful for a year or so.
My soil is well drained acid- neutral soil. Hope this is of some help.

 

Thanks Wilroda - you get these advice symbols saying where plants grow best (ie full sun for a lilac), but the plants don't know that, do they? Sometimes they just thrive wherever...