Lilacs: History and Culture

O ever-returning spring! Trinity sure to me you bring; / lilac blooming perennial, and drooping star in the west, / And thought of him I love. Walt Whitman

Name

The botanical name for lilacs is syringa, which is from the Greek word syrinx, which means ‚”a pipe.” The name was given because the stem is quite pithy and can be hollowed out. In fact, the Turks used the hollowed out stems to make pipes. The common name lilac is from the Arabic word laylak or the Persian word nylac both which mean blue. Ironically, in English lilac refers to a more purplish hue.

Lilacs were first described by Pierre Belon who had visited the court of Suleiman the Magnificent, sultan of Turkey. Belon compared the flower to a ‘fox’s tail.’ Lilacs were probably brought back by Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq who also brought us tulips.

History

Lilacs are hardy, long-lived plants. As a result, civilizations around the world plant lilacs for their carefree beauty and pleasant scent. Today in America, lilacs mark many abandoned and decayed homesteads. Every spring they bloom, memorial markers to dooryards long gone. Settlers planted them for one essential purpose – to create a bit of beauty in a rugged and difficult existence. When the settlers were gone, the lilacs continued their singular chore of giving us a brief glimpse of beauty every spring.

The scent of lilacs is one that lingers in memory and as such has been used in perfume and many other scented products. It is said that the wood of the lilac bush retains the odor of the blossoms and when old lilac branches are burned they give off the scent of lilac.

Description

Common lilacs bear thick clusters of lavender flowers at the end of their branches every spring. The leaves of lilacs are distinctively heart shaped and a dark green. The shrub grows about fifteen feet tall and twelve feet wide.

There are other varieties of lilac from different continents and improved forms of the common lilac. The other varieties differ in color, ranging from white to pink to a dark purple. Some even have double flowers.

Care

Lilacs are an easy to grow plant. They prefer full sun but will grow in partial shade. They are tolerant of a range of soil types although they prefer neutral soil that drains well.

Deadheading after they bloom will stimulate better flowering the following year. If you don’t deadhead, they only blossom extravagantly every second year.

To keep the bush tidy trim out old branches and suckers from ground level.

The bush propagates primarily through ground suckers and can be rather invasive. If you wish to keep the plants within a defined area, it is a good idea to put an edging down around the perimeter. To read more about spring blooming deciduous shrubs, see Angela England’s article.

Uses

Lilacs are not a particularly attractive plant except in the spring when they are blooming so it is a good idea to place them in the background of the garden. There is a tendency to plant them in shrub borders but they can appear rather weedy when used in such a manner.

Their blossoms make sweet carefree bouquets.