I had the impression that lilacs were meant for me at times. Working with my grandfather, a nurseryman who specialized in these enthralling beauties, for many hours during my formative years. The tall, pink-flowered “Esther Staley” lilac that grew next to my grandparents’ back door captured my attention the most. Like some people dream of authoring the great American novel, I once fertilized that plant in the hopes of creating a fantastic new lilac. Even though my first attempt at hybridizing failed, I still enjoy breeding lilacs. I also keep an eye on the lilac collection at the Boston-area Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.
Why are lilacs so alluring? Certainly, the approach of spring is signaled by their wonderful scent. Lilacs are exceptionally simple to grow, and they are distinctive enough to define a color and a fragrance. Additionally, lilacs now come in an astounding range of colors, habits, bloom sizes, shapes, and flowering times. Previously, they were only available in two flavors—purple and white.
There are many modern uses for these traditional plants. Species that are vibrant and fragrant may draw attention. Lilac shrubs can be arranged to create a hedge or screen. Lilacs that grow tall provide shade for a patio. Lilacs can also be underplanted with perennials that will bloom at the same time as them, such as bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) or spring bulbs.
With lilacs, fragrance is the number one priority
Different lilacs have different levels of fragrance. For instance, many white lilacs only have a little aroma. Other lilacs range in flavor from quite sweet to extremely pungent. I am able to perceive pleasant smells, yet my olfactory system seems to swiftly adapt to a fragrance. This makes it challenging to discern between the aromas of various flowers. I still grin when I smell lilacs.
I started a project a few years back to keep track of which lilacs were and weren’t fragrant. I had to find willing sniffers. Now, based on other people’s noses, I can offer fragrant lilacs with assurance.
French hybrids are the best-known lilacs
All lilacs are members of the Syringa genus, which has roughly 20 species and hundreds of widely grown cultivars. Asian species predominate. None of them were born in North America. The common lilac, S. vulgaris, with its heart-shaped leaves and big blooms that bloom around the third week of May here in Boston, is significantly different from many of the species, or wild, lilacs.
The common lilac is an Eastern European native that was brought to Western Europe before 1600 and most likely from there to North America. Named cultivars weren’t created until the 1800s. Since so many of these superior cultivars originated in France around 1900, the word “Even though many common lilac cultivars were developed in other European nations or North America, the term “French Hybrid” is frequently used to refer to all of these varieties.
Other Syringa species have some highly intriguing characteristics outside of the common lilac. Each has a pleasant scent, however some are fairly distinct from S. vulgaris.
S. pubescens, a native of China, is the lilac that is typically regarded as having the strongest scent. It has tiny, purple-tinged white blooms. The aroma is sweet and spicy, extremely unlike the conventional scent “lilac aroma
An lovely native of China and Korea, S. oblata is an early bloomer and blooms approximately two weeks before the common lilac, which it mimics in appearance and aroma. This species is well recognized for being the parent of the S. hyacinthiflora early-flowering hybrid group. The common lilac serves as the other parent. S. oblata and common lilac cultivars have been crossed by breeders to produce some lovely early-flowering, fragrant selections, many of which are disease-resistant. This collection contains some of my favorite cultivars. These include my favorite white lilac, “Sister Justina,” as well as the exquisite lilac-pink varieties “Asessippi” and “Excel.” These three generate a lot of flowers from the top of the plant to the ground, although none of them have particularly large blooms. They have a pleasant scent, and in Boston, the common foliar diseases powdery mildew and leaf-roll necrosis rarely affect them.
Because of its small, intricately cut leaves that resemble ferns, another Chinese species known as S. protolaciniata (which is related to S. laciniata) is called cut-leaf lilac. Unlike the typical lilac, it has inflorescences that appear all the way down the stem from a branch terminal back approximately 18 inches, producing a large number of tiny, light-purple flowers. Some plants can grow up to 8 feet tall and 10 feet across, although they are always incredibly delicate-looking.
Some lilacs are trees
There are tree lilacs that can grow to the size and shape of an apple tree rather of just being large shrubs. They grow beautifully as shade trees, and the second season of interest is provided by their striking bark. My garden is now bordered by a sizable, untrimmed hedge of tree lilacs that was originally planted as a nursery row.
A week to ten days following the late lilacs, which bloom around a month after the early lilacs, come the tree lilacs. They have ivory blooms with a privet-like scent, which is a related relative. Compared to the Chinese tree lilac, the Japanese tree lilac (S. reticulata) often has broader, rounder leaves (S. pekinensis). Both tree lilacs have lovely bark that resembles cherry bark, but the Chinese tree lilac sheds more frequently and comes off in strips. This characteristic makes the cultivar “China Snow” beautiful. The Japanese tree lilac has a cultivar called “Ivory Silk” that is now widely accessible. In addition to being useful in gardens, it seems promising as a little street tree.
A few are short and sweet
I’ve planted a kind of S. patula called “Miss Kim” on either side of my front door. ‘Miss Kim’ is a little shrub that reaches heights of 8 to 9 feet while not being a dwarf. Its leaves acquire a port-wine hue, making it one of the few lilacs with good fall color. It blooms a week or so after the common lilac and has a profusion of deliciously fragrant blooms.
The cultivar commonly referred to as “Dwarf Korean Lilac” is another small lilac. This lilac, S. meyeri ‘Palibin,’ though a dwarf, is a cultivar of a Chinese species rather than a Korean one. Its rarely taller than 4 to 5 foot plants have tiny, circular leaves and tiny blooms. The blooms are a light purple color in the buds, but when they are fully opened, they are white, numerous, and fragrantly pleasant. This variety can be utilized to grow a short hedge.
Late-blooming lilacs have a distinctive look and smell
About a week to ten days after the common lilacs, the late lilacs blossom. As opposed to breeding within a species, most of them are the result of hybridizers crossing two or more species and choosing their strongest offspring. To produce the hybrid group S.prestoniae, Canadian plant breeder Isabella Preston initially crossed S. komarowii ssp. reflexa and S. villosa. Others have since crossed late-flowering species with Preston lilacs. However, these late-flowering lilacs don’t have the typical “lilac” appearance or scent. Sincerely, I believe that these bushes would be more well-known if they were known by a different name. Miss Canada, a true red-pink lilac, and ‘Agnes Smith,’ with white blossoms, are a couple of my favorites.
Lilac flowers range from creamy shades to purples
Although I like purple, I grow lilacs in a variety of hues, including white, blue, purple, magenta, violet, and pink. Even the yellow-lilac S. vulgaris ‘Primrose’ exists. It is a rich, creamy yellow, not the color of dandelions. S.vulgaris ‘Sensation’ is another unusual cultivar; it has purple flowers with white pinstripes encircling each petal. I grew a tall, slender variety of lilac named “Krasavitsa Moskvy,” a Russian introduction of the common lilac, next to my back door. I’m reminded of pink opals when I see its emerging buds, which later bloom into double, white blooms.
Although lilac flowers typically have four petals, many double-flowered cultivars have also been created by hybridizers. Each of these flowers has more than four petals, frequently 12 or more. These can occasionally be put hose-in-hose, which means a four-petal bloom is enclosed by another four-petal flower. Some of the more recent introductions have all of the extra petals radially arranged daisy-style in the same plane.
What qualities should a lilac have? Naturally lovely blossoms. In addition, flowers should be plentiful, fragrant, and come in the color of your choice. And being resistant to sickness is a significant bonus.
My preferred lilacs in the past had huge blossoms. Since then, I’ve come to understand that even the largest lilac flowers can only be seen up close, and that the majority of lilacs are best seen from across a garden or even a street. The quantity of bloom therefore becomes crucial, as well as presentation. You might need to smell your lilacs from a window on the second floor if all of your plant’s blossoms are at the top. Many lilac cultivars grow so tall that single-story homes cannot accommodate them.
Lilacs are easy to grow
As simple to raise as vegetables are lilacs. Their requirements are also not that dissimilar. Lilacs grow best in full sunlight and in healthy garden soil that is neutral to slightly alkaline in pH. In these areas, they will withstand less than perfect conditions, although providing for the needs of the plant will yield better floral results.
Lilacs are typically thought of as cold-climate plants. The majority of lilacs are hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 7, therefore when climate is an issue, heat tolerance comes into play. Gardeners in warm climates have reason for optimism. Recent selections developed at Los Angeles’ Descanso Gardens can withstand the heat and the absence of a chilling time. And the University of California, Riverside campus is home to lilac trees. I’ve heard that my old favorite, the early-flowering S.hyacinthiflora ‘Excel,’ is one of the best varieties there.
Bear in mind that lilac flower buds form in the summer before blooming when you are trimming or pruning them. Almost usually, winter pruning leads in fewer blooms the following spring. Lilacs should be pruned as soon as their blooms start to fade for the greatest flowering.
Lilac leaves frequently get powdery mildew on them, especially in humid environments. Since it appears in the late summer and early autumn, after the majority of the growth season, it is typically more of a nuisance than a hazard. Fungicides can be used to control it, however I advise cultivating the plants that are least impacted. The plants that are suggested in this article have only mild to moderate leaf disease symptoms. Site and environment, however, also influence the likelihood of infection.
Another foliar disease called leaf-roll necrosis is thought to be brought on by air pollution and can manifest hundreds of kilometres away from large cities. Similar to mildew, symptoms typically show up in the late summer and early fall. Each leaf coils upward as the leaf margins frequently die and turn dark. The symptoms may be so unpleasant that it may appear as though the plant will perish. Fortunately, at that time, lilacs have finished growing for the most part, and new spring leaves are typically healthy. Again, cultivars respond to injury in varied degrees, so look for ones that maintain their attractiveness throughout the season.
Are white lilacs fragrant?
Non-aromatic species or a colder air temperature are the two main causes of lilac bushes that don’t smell. Common lilac, also known as old-fashioned lilac (Syringa vulgaris), often has the most potent and enticing perfume of all lilac species. In actuality, the most aromatic types are typically those that are medium to dark purple.
There are some lilac species, meanwhile, that either have no smell at all or a weak one. For instance, it’s known that some white lilac cultivars are odorless. There are single and double white variations of these.
Additionally, when it’s too cold or wet, many lilacs—including the most fragrant species—don’t smell as good. Your lilac blooms might not smell under these circumstances, which are typical in the spring when lilacs are flowering. However, after it heats up, they’ll start emitting strong, perfume-like scents.
Do white lilacs smell sweeter than purple ones?
The outlook for today in Bedford, New York, predicts lower temperatures and heavier rain.
I hope you and your families are safe if you reside in the Northeast; yesterday afternoon, just as the outdoor grounds crew concluded a long day of mowing, weeding, and mulching, a strong weather system slammed through the area with high winds and thunderous downpours.
My towering lilac hedges look like this. About 12 years ago, I planted this alley outside my tennis court and chicken coops. It has since prospered.
A species of flowering plant belonging to the Oleaceae family of olives is the lilac, Syringa vulgaris. There are more than a thousand different species and cultivars in the genus Syringa.
Seven different hues are available in lilacs: violet, blue, lilac, pink, red, purple, and white. Compared to other colors, purple lilacs have the richest aroma.
Both single and double kinds of lilacs have pyramidal clusters of blooms, along with shiny green leaves.
The 1938-first-recognized variety ‘Sensation’ is distinguished by its bicolor deep-purple petals bordered in white on eight- to twelve-foot-tall shrubs.
“Angel White” grows to a height of 10 to 12 feet, has a profusion of fragrant, snow-white flowers, and is successful as far south as hardiness zone 8.
Wedgwood Blue, as its name suggests, is a spreading shrub that grows up to six feet tall and bears fragrant flowers with blue Wedgwood-like hues.
Additionally, the disease-resistant common lilac “Adelaide Dunbar” has spikes of double, sweet-smelling purple flowers.
End of the 16th century saw the introduction of lilacs from Ottoman gardens into Europe, and a century later they reached the American colonies. Due to its lovely, sweet-smelling blossoms, it is still a common ornamental plant in gardens, parks, and residences today.
Lilacs were also planted in the first botanical gardens in America, where they were tended by both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
The lilac is referred to as the “queen of shrubs,” and the word “lilac” is a Persian word that means bluish.
They appear in the middle of spring until the beginning of summer, just before many other summer flowers start to bloom.
By growing a variety, you can stagger bloom period, which can continue for up to two months.
Regular watering at planting, during bloom, and during active growth periods is beneficial to them. However, once established, they can tolerate droughts fairly well.
Hardiness zones 3 through 7, in cooler regions with chilling spells, are where the majority of lilacs flourish. Lilacs frequently produce clumps and sprout new shoots from the trunk’s base that can be used for propagation.
They require little upkeep and are simple to grow. In fact, depending on the kind, they can reach heights of up to 20 feet.
And while lilacs have some of the most fragile blossoms among ornamentals, some more recent hybrid kinds can withstand winter temperatures of -60 degrees Fahrenheit.
To lessen the risk of fungal illnesses like powdery mildew, find a place for lilacs that has sufficient air circulation.
Additionally, pick a location that will accommodate the plant’s mature size.
Be patient; young lilacs might take up to three years to mature and begin to produce blossoms.
Regular weeding will lessen competition for water and nutrients in the area around lilacs.
Lilacs need to be clipped annually soon after blooming is finished. At that time, get rid of the old stems, broken branches, and spent flowers.
Additionally, avoid pruning after July 4th because the tree has already started to establish blossom buds for the following year.
After pruning, treat plants with an all-purpose fertilizer, then side dress them with compost each spring.
Lilacs should be harvested at the height of their beauty, when color and fragrance are at their greatest, and put in a vase as soon as you can.
Lilacs can be dried by gathering a group of recently cut flowers and securing them with a rubber band. For one to three weeks, hang them upside down in a cool location.
Lilacs are a beautiful addition to any garden since they are both colorful and fragrant.