This is the year of the lilac

Lilacs evoke the sweet smell of spring. These shrubs were brought to this country in the 17th century. They were called Blew (blue) Pipeflower, for their hollow stems and grown in English gardens according to https://www.thetreecenter.com/the-story-of-lilacs/. In 1750 lilacs were the first shipments of plants sent to America to satisfy the memory of new settlers in their homes.

In 1852 a Frenchman called Victor Lemoine started breeding lilacs, and flower petals went from four to eight petals in a dense cluster. This shrub was named ‘Azurea Plena’ with a bluish-mauve color. He further crossed ‘Azurea Plena’ with other lilacs. He amassed 200-some plants which today are still popular and grown in many landscapes.

Today there are about 30 different species of lilacs. Lilacs come in a wider range of colors other than purple and all the shades of purple. Colors such as red, pink, blue, yellow, cream or white are all available. Here are a few of the lilacs that would do well in our landscapes.

The Chinese Lilac, Syringa x chinensis and common lilac, Syringa vulgaris, have been the most prevalent for us in zone 3. The Chinese lilac gets 8-12 feet tall and 6-10 feet wide with a rose-purple flower. The common lilac is a bit taller at 12-16 feet and 8-12 feet wide.

Today there are more than 600 cultivated varieties of these, including ‘President Lincoln’ with lavender-blue flowers and ‘Sensation’ with single fragrant white-edged purple flowers called picotee flowers.

The full article is available in our e-Edition. Click here to subscribe.