A World of Lilacs

A World of Lilacs. . , Look for common lilac as well as Asian species and hybrids in this expansive Collection., The familiar common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) featured prominently in this Collection has been planted far beyond its small native range in the mountains of Southeast Europe. Ease of propagation, hardiness, and a folklore association with good luck facilitated this species dissemination in Western Europe, where it was grown for cut flowers before being transformed into a handsome garden plant by French hybridizers. European colonists brought lilacs to North America in the 18th century, and they have held a revered place in the landscape ever since. Thomas Jefferson and George Washington both grew lilacs in their gardens. Walt Whitman wrote often about lilacs in his poems, most famously in his elegy for Abraham Lincoln "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd.", A majority of the more than 1,600 known lilac cultivars descend from Syringa vulgaris, but it is only one of approximately 21 different lilac species. Most other lilac species are native to Asia and were largely unknown in the West until explorers from Europe, Russia, and later the United States began sending specimens and seeds home in the second half of the 19th century., Asian lilacs typically differ from common lilac in size, flower, leaf, and fragrance. Only a few are commercially available. Ornamental Asian species and hybrids broadened the selection of superior lilac during the 20th century. Asian lilacs virtues include smaller stature, disease resistance, good autumn leaf color, and later bloom times. This Collection includes Asian species such as Syringa pubescens, Syringa meyerii, and Syringa oblaza.