| Name. | Country or Origin and Natural Order. | Colour and Season. | General Remarks. |
| Syringa (lilac) | Eastern Europe and Northern Asia; Oleaceæ | Various | A lovely family. Mr. Beanin The Garden, April 2,1898, writes: "As nowconstituted, the genusconsists of two groups:First, the true Lilacs,represented by S. vulgaris;and second, the Privet-likeLilacs, of which someauthorities have made aseparate genus under thename Ligustrina. Thespecies in this lattergroup are distinguishedfrom the true Lilacs byflowering later in thesummer, and by having largepanicles of smallerPrivet-like flowers, thecorolla of which is whiteand much shorter than inthe other group. There arethree of them incultivation—S. amurensis,S. japonica, S.pekinensis—which, however,some botanists haveconsidered to be merelygeographical forms of onespecies existing inManchuria, Japan, andChina. The following isa complete list of thespecies in gardens, withsome of the commonersynonyms: S. Emodi, var.rosea (S. Bretschneideri),S. Josikæa, S. oblata (S.chinensis), S. persica, var.laciniata (S. filicifolia,S. pinnata), S. villosa (S.pubescens), S. vulgaris, S.chinensis (S. dubia, S.rothomagensis) hybrid.Ligustrina Group.—S.amurensis (Ligustrinaamurensis), S. japonica(Ligustrina amurensisvar. japonica), S.pekinensis (Ligustrinapekinensis)." |
| S. amurensis | Manchuria; discovered in 1857 by a Russian botanist named Raffe | Creamy white | A sturdy bush with stout,erect branches. The smallcreamy white flowers areborne on large branchingracemes. It is a native ofthe valleys of the Ussuriand Amur Rivers. One of theearliest of hardy shrubs tobreak into leaf. |
| *S. chinensis | Probably raised in Rouen Botanic Garden by M. Varin over 100 years agofrom seed borne by S. persica. Synonyms S. correlata, S. dubia, S. rothomagensis | May | The flowers are in paniclesintermediate in sizebetween those of itsparents, and are of thesame colour. Veryfree-flowering and pretty,and might be recommended asa substitute for the commonLilac in positions wherethe latter would be toolarge. To add to theconfusion respecting itsorigin, it is still calledin some nurserymen'scatalogues the SiberianLilac, Rouen Lilac, andChinese Lilac. It lastslonger in flower than thecommon Lilac. |
| *S. Emodi (Himalayan Lilac) | Dr. Aitchison found this on the Afghan Mountains in 1879, 9000 feet to 10,000 feet elevation | Pale purple | This is altogether ofsturdier growth than theordinary Lilac, with largeleaves and terminalpanicles of flowers. Ofgreater ornamental value isthe variety rosea which wasintroduced a few years agofrom the mountains aboutPekin by Dr. Bretschneider,and in gardens (Frenchchiefly) it is known asSyringa Bretschneideri. Itis more robust than thetype, and bears largepanicles of rosy-tintedflowers in June or later.There is avariegated-leaved varietyof S. Emodi, which ishandsome when vigorouslygrown. Another form withmore or less golden isfoliis aureis. When thesoil is rich the leavesmeasure 6 inches long and 4inches wide. |
| S. japonica | Japan | White | A large growing shrub, ofbushy growth, and larger infoliage than S. vulgaris.It bears large branchingpanicles of small whiteflowers, reminding one ofthose of the Privet, hencethe name of the group towhich it belongs(Ligustrina). Thesepanicles in Japan and theUnited States attain asmuch as 18 inches and even2 feet in length, butwhether it will grow inthis country in such a wayremains to be seen. |
| S. Josikæa (Hungarian Lilac) | Hungarian Mountains | Lilac; May | An old shrub of moderategrowth, but is not of greatvalue, as it happens toflower when we have awealth of bloom from thecommoner kinds. It is,however, interesting andworth growing, if only forthe sake of the prettysentiment that attaches toits origin, having beenfound by Baroness VonJosika in her wanderingsabout the Hungarianmountains in 1835. It maybe best described as asmall form of S. Emodi. Itwas first grown in Britainat Edinburgh, in the yearmentioned. Its height is 6feet to 10 feet, with theyoung twigs of a purplishcolour; the panicles areterminal, erect, and smallcompared with those of themore showy Lilacs, andusually about 4 incheslong, rarely as much as 6inches to 9 inches. |
| S. pekinensis | Mountains of North China | White | One of the threePrivet-like Syringas,and one of the lastintroduced. It is theChinese representative ofthe Ligustrina group. Fromits two allies (S.amurensis and S. japonica)it is to be distinguishedby its long and much moreslender branches, which inone form are distinctlypendulous (var. pendula). |
| *S. persica (Persian Lilac) | Found by Dr. Aitchison in 1879. Afghanistan. 7000 feet to 8000 feet elevation | Deep purplish; May | This old favourite is oftenconfused with the RouenLilac, but it is quitedifferent, being smaller instature, with much smallerleaves, and with an elegantspreading habit of growth.In the type the flowerclusters are nearly aslarge as those of S.chinensis, deep purple incolour, varying to almost apure white in the varietyalba. In the varietylaciniata, known also as S.ficifolia, pinnata, andother names, the leavesare cut or coarselytoothed. It is a beautifullittle shrub, and suitsa place where the tallgrowing kinds would be toolarge. Like the common andthe Rouen Lilacs, it may beforced into flower atChristmas time, and, unlikethe others, its small sizeenables it to be grown inpots for room decoration.The exact length of timethe Persian Lilac has beenin cultivation is notknown. It had long beencultivated in the countryto which it owes itsname—since the year 1200,say some authorities—butit has never been foundtruly wild in Persia. Itwas not until 1879 that itsreal native habitat wasrevealed. |
| S. villosa (Syn. pubescens) | Introduced from the Chihli province of China in 1880 | Rose Lilac; May | This interesting speciesfirst flowered in 1888. Itis very fragrant, and thepanicle is from 3 inches to4 inches long. |
| *S. vulgaris (Common Lilac) | A native of Eastern Europe, and although it appears to havebeen originally introduced from Persia about, or previous to the year 1597, itwas found to be a native of Southern Hungary, in the region of the Danubeespecially on the chalky precipices of the Cverna Valley and on Mount Domoglet.It is not found truly indigenous further west than these localities, and it is not,as has been stated, a native of Italy, although, no doubt it has become neutralisedthere and elsewhere | Lilac; May | See below for remarks. |
| The common Lilac has been the glory of English gardens since the days ofGerard and Parkinson of the sixteenth century. From the time that Parkinsongrew it in a pot, with no doubt as much care and anxiety as is bestowed nowadayson a hundred-guinea Orchid, the Lilac has, on account of its extreme hardinessand easy culture, become almost naturalised in these islands, as now we see it incopse and hedgerow, besides gardens large and small, and even in the town forecourt.To every place where the Englishman goes to make a home he likes to haveabout him Lilacs and Roses. As in the case of several other beautiful shrubs, theimprovement of the Lilac by the raising of new varieties is of comparatively recentdate. Gerard and Parkinson write of the blue Pipe and the white Pipe (the Lilacbeing then called the Pipe tree, on account of pipes being made from its wood),besides the ordinary lilac-coloured sort, and Loudon, writing fifty years ago, onlyenumerates the blue (cærulea), violet (violacea), the white (alba), and alba major,and one double called alba plena, seven in all. He just mentions, however, a finevariety, Caroli (or Charles X., as we know it), which about that time had been raisedin France. This still is one of the choicest sorts, and particularly valuable for forcinginto early bloom in winter. Since that time there has been great activity in raisingnew kinds in France, till now the list of named single sorts numbers upwards offifty, while the doubles are almost as numerous. There are far too many named sorts,in fact, as the differences between many of them are of the slightest, so that the selectionof the best from catalogues, from the mere names and brief descriptions (not alwaysaccurate) is perplexing to an amateur. To no raiser do we owe more to the improvementof the Lilac of late years than to that famous veteran French hybridist, VictorLemoine of Nancy, who has made the genus Syringa one of his special studies, andfavoured as he is by a climate suitable for the free seeding of the Lilac, he has beenhighly successful. There are four more or less distinct shades of colour among thesorts, viz. whites, reds, pinks, and so-called blues. A selection of a dozen single sortswould include the following, placed in order of merit: Whites—Marie Le Gray, Albagrandiflora. Blue or Bluish—Cærulea or Delphine, Duchesse de Namours, Lindleyanaor Dr. Lindley. Reds or Purple-reds—Souvenir de L. Späth, Philemon, Rubra insignis,Mme. Kreuter, Camille de Rohan, Ville de Troyes. Pinks—Lovanensis, Schneelavine.This selection comprises the finest sorts, having the largest flower clusters in theirrespective colours, and is representative of the whole of the sorts. Of the doubleflowered sorts there has of recent years been a great number sent from Frenchnurseries, and only a few of the oldest sorts have developed into large specimens,and therefore one cannot judge of their merits, as in the case of the single sorts.The best varieties include the following dozen sorts: Lavender and Blue—LeonSimon, Renoncule, Alphonse Lavallée (pale blue). Pinks—President Carnot, M. deDombasle. Whites—Mme. Abel Chatenay (the finest), Mme. Lemoine, Cassimirfils. Reds—President Grévy, Senateur Volland, Comte H. de Choiseul, MaximeCornu. In the Lilacs there is material for the tasteful planter of gardens, yet howseldom does one see in ordinary gardens full advantage taken of them for producingbeautiful effects! In the common way of planting they are dotted about shrubberiesindiscriminately, and jumbled with trees and shrubs of a totally differentcharacter, so that the Lilacs cannot be seen to the fullest advantage. An isolatedgroup of the choicest kinds, or even a simple hedge of the white or rich purple kindsis seldom seen, except in some old gardens, and still less seldom does one see anyattempt at culture in the way of pruning and the cutting away of suckers. At Kewone may see bold examples of grouping Lilacs, as well as well-developed specimensstanding alone on grass, while about London one sees in the market gardens finehedges of Lilac planted for the twofold purpose of cutting from and providingshelter. Mr. Goldring writes in The Garden, "The most beautiful Lilac hedge Ihave seen was that I enjoyed recently at the White Farm, Crichel (an enclosuredevoted to white animals), where there are glorious hedges of the pure white LilacMarie Le Gray in abundant flower—quite appropriate to the white surroundings.The only culture the Lilacs require is occasional manuring in light, poor soils, occasionalpruning so as to induce a bushy growth, as the growth is apt to become'leggy,' and continuous attention in cutting away suckers, which are so plentiful asto rob the tops. Two or three suckers should be allowed to grow so as to keepup the supply of strong, vigorous flowering stems. Lilacs can be made to formstandards by keeping the bush from the outset to one stem, and when seen risingout of a low hedge of Lilac, or a mass of the dwarf kinds, they have a pleasing effect,and is one of the various ways they can be arranged in planting." |
