Family: Oleaceae
Common Name: Lilac

Native to eastern Asia and south-east Europe, this genus of around 20 species of deciduous shrubs has pale green, opposite leaves and small, showy flowers, which may be lilac, purple, pink, white or red, massed in loose heads. They make lovely, ornamental shrubs, especially for cooler regions. 'their spring flowers are beautiful in a vase, filling the air with delightful fragrance.

Species

S. x chinensis, zone 4, to 3 m (10 ft), has fragrant, lilac flowers. Cultivar 'Alba' has white flowers; 'Saugeana' produces flowers tinged with red.

S. x hyacinthiflora, zone 4, a French hybrid with broad leaves, has been widely hybridized, with many fine cultivars available. Some may be worth trying in warmer areas.

S. pubescens subsp. microphylla has a spreading, shrubby habit, growing to 2 m (6 ft), with lilac flowers.

S. pubescens subsp. microphylla 'Superba' is another small shrub, with rose-pink flowers until autumn. The branches are tinged with purple and the leaves are velvety and slightly hairy.

S. x reflexa, from China, is taller, to 4 m (13 ft), with large leaves and a pro-fusion of deep pink flowers.

S. reticulata, Japanese tree lilac, forms a squat, broad-crowned tree, growing to 9 m (30 ft). The creamy white flower clusters make a lovely, spring display against dark green foliage. The flowers smell of musk. Var. mandshurica, amur lilac, grows to 4 m (13 ft).

S. vulgaris, common lilac, from south-eastern Europe, grows to about 4 m (13 ft), with a tree-like habit and true lilac flowers in white through to pale mauve. They have a delightfully sweet, yet strong, fragrance. Named cultivars are available in single and double flowering forms, in lovely colours. Some have been bred for resistance to leaf-spotting diseases.

Cultivation

lilacs require a moderately rich, well-drained garden soil with a fairly high lime content. They require a position in full sun for optimum flowering. They need regular, deep watering during the warmer months of the year. Mulch during the summer months to conserve soil moisture. Remove flower heads as soon as they begin to fade, to encourage flowering the following year. Propagate species from seed sown in autumn or spring, in a garden frame. Cultivars can be propagated by layering in spring or from slightly firm, softwood cuttings in early summer, rooted in a heated propagating case.

Climate

Zone 5 unless otherwise specified.