Can I grow Wisteria and Lilac in North Texas and when is the best time to plant them?

I am in zone 7 Fort Smith AR. Are you zone 8? Wisteria grows like crazy here so I am sure they would grow there. But lilacs don't do so well. I grew up zone 5 and you would see them everywhere. I haven't seen a healthy lilac here yet. They all seem to get powdery mildew if they survive the heat at all.