Syringa vulgaris

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Syringa vulgaris
Lilac Flower&Leaves, SC, Vic, 13.10.2007.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Oleaceae
Genus: Syringa
Species:
S. vulgaris
Binomial name
Syringa vulgaris
L.
Lilac Bush, by Vincent van Gogh, 1889 Van Gogh - Fliederstrauch.jpeg
Lilac Bush , by Vincent van Gogh, 1889

Syringa vulgaris, the lilac or common lilac, is a species of flowering plant in the olive family Oleaceae, native to the Balkan Peninsula, where it grows on rocky hills. [1] [2] [3] Grown in spring for its scented flowers, this large shrub or small tree is widely cultivated and has been naturalized in parts of Europe, Asia and North America. It is not regarded as an aggressive species. It is found in the wild in widely scattered sites, usually in the vicinity of past or present human habitations. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Description

Syringa vulgaris is a large deciduous shrub or multi-stemmed small tree, growing to 6–7 m (20–23 ft) high. It produces secondary shoots from the base or roots, with stem diameters up to 20 cm (8 in), which in the course of decades may produce a small clonal thicket. [7] The bark is grey to grey-brown, smooth on young stems, longitudinally furrowed, and flaking on older stems. The leaves are simple, 4–12 cm (2–5 in) and 3–8 cm broad, light green to glaucous, oval to cordate, with pinnate leaf venation, a mucronate apex, and an entire margin. They are arranged in opposite pairs or occasionally in whorls of three. The flowers have a tubular base to the corolla 6–10 mm long with an open four-lobed apex 5–8 mm across, usually lilac to mauve, occasionally white. They are arranged in dense, terminal panicles 8–18 cm (3–7 in) long. The fruit is a dry, smooth, brown capsule, 1–2 cm long, splitting in two to release the two-winged seeds. [1] [8]

Taxonomy and naming

Syringa vulgaris was first formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 and the description was published in Species Plantarum . [9] [10] The Latin specific epithet vulgaris means "common" (in the sense of "widespread"). [11]

Garden history

Lilacs—both S. vulgaris and S. × persica the finer, smaller "Persian lilac", now considered a natural hybrid—were introduced into northern European gardens at the end of the 16th century, from Ottoman gardens, not through botanists exploring the Balkan habitats of S. vulgaris. [12] The Holy Roman Emperor's ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, is generally credited with supplying lilac cuttings to the Dutch horticulturist Carolus Clusius about 1562. Well-connected botanists, such as the great herbalist John Gerard, soon had the rarity in their gardens: Gerard noted that he had lilacs growing "in very great plenty" in 1597. However, lilacs were never mentioned by Shakespeare [13] and the 19th century botanist John Loudon was of the opinion that the Persian lilac was introduced into English gardens by John Tradescant the elder in the 17th century. [14] Tradescant's source for information on the lilac, and perhaps ultimately for the plants, was Italian naturalist Pietro Andrea Mattioli, as one can tell from a unique copy of Tradescant's plant list in his Lambeth garden, an adjunct of his Musaeum Tradescantianum ; it was printed, though probably not published, in 1634: it lists Lilac Matthioli. That Tradescant's "lilac of Mattioli's" was a white one is shown by Elias Ashmole's manuscript list, Trees found in Mrs Tredescants Ground when it came into my possession (1662): [15] "Syringa alba".

In the American colonies, lilacs were introduced in the 18th century. Peter Collinson, F.R.S., wrote to the Pennsylvania gardener and botanist John Bartram, proposing to send him some, and remarked that John Custis of Virginia had a fine "collection", which Ann Leighton interpreted as signifying common and Persian lilacs, in both purple and white, "the entire range of lilacs possible" at the time. [16]

It is also slowly making its way into the world of bonsai where it is loved for its flowers and multistem features. [17]

Cultivation

The lilac is a very popular ornamental plant in gardens and parks, because of its attractive, sweet-smelling flowers, which appear in early summer just before many of the roses and other summer flowers come into bloom. [18]

In late summer, lilacs can be attacked by powdery mildew, specifically Erysiphe syringae, one of the Erysiphaceae. [19] No fall color is seen and the seed clusters have no aesthetic appeal.

Common lilac tends to flower profusely in alternate years, a habit that can be improved by deadheading the flower clusters after the color has faded and before seeds, few of which are fertile, form. At the same time, twiggy growth on shoots that have flowered more than once or twice can be cut to a strong, outward-growing side shoot.

It is widely naturalised in western and northern Europe. [8] In a sign of its complete naturalization in North America, it has been selected as the state flower of the state of New Hampshire, because it "is symbolic of that hardy character of the men and women of the Granite State". [20] Additional hardiness for Canadian gardens was bred for in a series of S. vulgaris hybrids by Isabella Preston, who introduced many of the later-blooming varieties. Their later-developing flower buds are better protected from late spring frosts. The Syringa × prestoniae hybrids range primarily in the pink and lavender shades. [21]

Cultivars

Most garden plants of S. vulgaris are cultivars, the majority of which do not exceed 4–5 m (13–16 ft) tall. [22] Between 1876 and 1927, the nurseryman Victor Lemoine of Nancy, France, introduced over 153 named cultivars, many of which are considered classics and still in commerce today. Lemoine's "French lilacs" extended the limited color range to include deeper, more saturated hues, and many of them are double-flowered "sports", with the stamens replaced by extra petals.

AGM cultivars

In the UK the following cultivars of Syringa vulgaris have received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:

With single flowers:

  • 'Andenken an Ludwig Späth' (deep pink/red) [23]
  • 'Esther Staley' (S. × hyacinthiflora - pale lilac flowers) [24]
  • 'Firmament' (pale lilac-blue) [25]
  • 'Sensation' (purple flowers edged white) [26]
  • 'Vestale' (pure white flowers) [27]

With double flowers:

  • 'Katherine Havemeyer' (lilac) [28]
  • 'Madame Lemoine' (white) [29]
  • 'Mrs Edward Harding' (deep pink/red) [30]
  • 'Primrose' (pale yellow flowers) [31]

Other uses

The flowers of common lilac are edible and used for flavoring honeys, sugars, food and other sweets. [32] [33]

Related Research Articles

<i>Syringa</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae

Syringa is a genus of 12 currently recognized species of flowering woody plants in the olive family or Oleaceae called lilacs. These lilacs are native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and widely and commonly cultivated in temperate areas elsewhere.

<i>Penstemon</i> Genus of plants

Penstemon, the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 280 species of flowering plants native mostly to the Nearctic, but with a few species also found in the North American portion of the Neotropics. It is the largest genus of flowering plants endemic to North America. As well as being the scientific name, penstemon is also widely used as a common name for all Penstemon species alongside beardtongues.

<i>Hibiscus syriacus</i> Species of flowering plant

Hibiscus syriacus is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is native to areas of east Asia, but widely introduced elsewhere, including much of Europe and North America. It was given the epithet syriacus because it had been collected from gardens in Syria. Common names include the rose of Sharon,, Syrian ketmia, shrub althea (or simply althea), and rose mallow. It is the national flower of South Korea and is mentioned in the South Korean national anthem.

<i>Bougainvillea</i> Genus of plants

Bougainvillea is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the four o' clock family, Nyctaginaceae. It is native to eastern South America, found from Brazil, west to Peru, and south to southern Argentina. Different authors accept from 4 to 22 species in the genus. The inflorescence consists of large colourful sepal-like bracts which surround three simple waxy flowers, gaining popularity for the plant as an ornamental.

<i>Anemonoides nemorosa</i> Species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae

Anemonoides nemorosa, the wood anemone, is an early-spring flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to Europe. Other common names include windflower, European thimbleweed, and smell fox, an allusion to the musky smell of the leaves. It is a perennial herbaceous plant growing 5–15 cm (2–6 in) tall.

<i>Dasiphora fruticosa</i> Species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae

Dasiphora fruticosa is a species of hardy deciduous flowering shrub in the family Rosaceae, native to the cool temperate and subarctic regions of the northern hemisphere, often growing at high altitudes in mountains. Dasiphora fruticosa is still widely referenced in the horticultural literature under its synonym Potentilla fruticosa. Common names include shrubby cinquefoil, golden hardhack, bush cinquefoil, shrubby five-finger, widdy, kuril tea and tundra rose.

<i>Thymus serpyllum</i> Species of plant

Thymus serpyllum, known by the common names of Breckland thyme, Breckland wild thyme, wild thyme, creeping thyme, or elfin thyme, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to most of Europe and North Africa. It is a low, usually prostrate subshrub growing to 2 cm (1 in) tall with creeping stems up to 10 cm (4 in) long. The oval evergreen leaves are 3–8 mm long. The strongly scented flowers are either lilac, pink-purple, magenta, or a rare white, all 4–6 mm long and produced in clusters. The hardy plant tolerates some pedestrian traffic and produces odors ranging from heavily herbal to lightly lemon, depending on the variety.

<i>Primula vulgaris</i> Species of flowering plant

Primula vulgaris, the common primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to Eurasia. The common name is primrose, or occasionally common primrose or English primrose to distinguish it from other Primula species referred to as primroses.

<i>Wisteria floribunda</i> Species of legume

Wisteria floribunda, common name Japanese wisteria, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to Japan. Growing to 9 m (30 ft), Wisteria floribunda is a woody, deciduous twining climber. It was first brought from Japan to the United States in the 1830s. It is a common subject for bonsai, along with Wisteria sinensis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victor Lemoine</span> French botanist and horticulturist (1823–1911)

Pierre Louis Victor Lemoine was a celebrated and prolific French flower breeder who, among other accomplishments, created many of today's lilac varieties. As a result of his accomplishments, the term French lilac has come to mean all cultivars of the common lilac that have double flowers, regardless of their origin.

<i>Thymus vulgaris</i> Species of flowering plant

Thymus vulgaris is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to southern Europe from the western Mediterranean to southern Italy. Growing to 15–30 cm (6–12 in) tall by 40 cm (16 in) wide, it is a bushy, woody-based evergreen subshrub with small, highly aromatic, grey-green leaves and clusters of purple or pink flowers in early summer.

<i>Symphyotrichum lateriflorum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to central and eastern North America

Symphyotrichum lateriflorum is a species of flowering plant in the aster family (Asteraceae). Commonly known as calico aster, starved aster, and white woodland aster, it is native to eastern and central North America. It is a perennial and herbaceous plant that may reach heights up to 120 centimeters and widths up to 30 centimeters.

<i>Phlox paniculata</i> Species of flowering plant

Phlox paniculata is a species of flowering plant in the phlox family (Polemoniaceae). It is native to parts of the eastern and central United States. It is extensively cultivated in temperate regions as an ornamental plant and has become established in the wild in scattered locales in other regions. Common names include fall phlox, garden phlox, perennial phlox, summer phlox, and panicled phlox.

<i>Eriocapitella hupehensis</i> Species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae

Eriocapitella hupehensis, a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, is native to Asia. The specific epithet hupehensis, which means "from Hupeh province, China", refers to a region where the species is known to occur. In Chinese, it is called dǎ pò wǎn huā huā (打破碗花花), which means "broken bowl flower".

<i>Thalictrum delavayi</i> Species of flowering plant

Thalictrum delavayi, Chinese meadow-rue, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae native to China. Growing to 1.2 m (4 ft) tall by 60 cm (24 in) wide, it is a herbaceous perennial with leaves divided into many small leaflets, and panicles of lilac flowers with green or white stamens in summer.

<i>Acer palmatum</i> Species of maple

Acer palmatum, commonly known as Japanese maple, palmate maple, or smooth Japanese maple (Korean: danpungnamu, 단풍나무, Japanese: irohamomiji, イロハモミジ, or momiji,, is a species of woody plant native to Korea, Japan, China, eastern Mongolia, and southeast Russia. Many different cultivars of this maple have been selected and they are grown worldwide for their large variety of attractive forms, leaf shapes, and spectacular colors.

Ludwig Späth (1793–1883) was a German botanist and nurseryman. He was father of Franz Ludwig Späth. The Common Lilac cultivar 'Andenken an Ludwig Späth' is named in his honour.

<i>Campanula lactiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Campanula lactiflora, the milky bellflower, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Campanula of the family Campanulaceae, native to Turkey and the Caucasus. It is a medium-sized herbaceous perennial growing to 1.2 m, with narrow, toothed leaves 5–12 cm (2–5 in) long. Large conical clusters of open, star-shaped flowers are produced on branching stems in summer. In favourable conditions it will self-seed with variable results. The flowers are usually white or pale blue, but numerous cultivars have been developed for garden use, in a range of colours.

<i>Syringa pubescens</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Oleaceae

Syringa pubescens is a species of flowering plant in the lilac genus of the family Oleaceae, native to Korea and China.

<i>Syringa oblata</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Oleaceae

Syringa oblata is a species in the genus Syringa, in the family Oleaceae. It is also known as early blooming lilac or broadleaf lilac.

References

  1. 1 2 Rushforth, K. (1999). Trees of Britain and Europe. Collins ISBN   0-00-220013-9.
  2. ↑ Med-Checklist: Syringa vulgaris
  3. ↑ Flora Europaea: Syringa vulgaris
  4. ↑ Biota of North Idaho America Program, Syringa vulgaris
  5. ↑ Altervista Flora Italiana, Syringa vulgaris
  6. ↑ Illinois wildflowers, common lilac, Syringa vulgaris
  7. ↑ In second-growth woodlands of New England, a thicket of lilac may be the first indication of the cellar-hole of a vanished 19th-century timber-framed farmhouse.
  8. 1 2 Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). Flora of Britain and Northern Europe. ISBN   0-340-40170-2.
  9. ↑ "Syringa vulgaris". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries; Australian National Botanic Gardens. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  10. ↑ Linnaeus, Carl (1753). Species Plantarum (1 ed.). Stockholm: Laurentii Salvii. p. 9. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  11. ↑ Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for Gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. ISBN   978-1845337315.
  12. ↑ The botanic homeland of S. vulgaris was identified in 1828, when naturalist Anton Rocher found truly wild specimens in Balkans .
  13. ↑ Their first appearance by name in English print was in the OED dated to 1625.
  14. ↑ Loudon, Arboretum (1838:49), noted in R.T. Gunther, Early British Botanists and their Gardens (Oxford: Frederick Hall) 1922:339.
  15. ↑ Written in the endpapers of his copy of John Parkinson's Paradisus, in the Bodleian Library; printed in Gunther 1922:346
  16. ↑ Ann Leighton, American Gardens in the Eighteenth Century (University of Massachusetts Press) 1986:445
  17. ↑ D'Cruz, Mark (16 April 2020). "Ma-Ke Bonsai Care Guide for Common Lilac". Ma-Ke Bonsai. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  18. ↑ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN   978-1405332965.
  19. ↑ B. Ing, "An Introduction to British Powdery Mildews", in The Mycologist5.1 (1990:24–27).
  20. ↑ New Hampshire Revised Statute Annotated (RSA) 3:5
  21. ↑ "Plant Profiles - Chicago Botanic Garden". www.chicagobotanic.org. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  22. ↑ Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN   0-333-47494-5.
  23. ↑ "Syringa vulgaris 'Andenken an Ludwig Späth'". RHS. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  24. ↑ "Syringa × hyacinthiflora 'Esther Staley'". RHS. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  25. ↑ "Syringa vulgaris 'Firmament'". RHS. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  26. ↑ "Syringa vulgaris 'Sensation'". RHS. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  27. ↑ "Syringa vulgaris 'Vestale'". RHS. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  28. ↑ "Syringa vulgaris 'Katherine Havemeyer'". RHS. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  29. ↑ "Syringa vulgaris 'Madame Lemoine'". RHS. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  30. ↑ "Syringa vulgaris 'Mrs Edward Harding'". RHS. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  31. ↑ "Syringa vulgaris 'Primrose'". RHS. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  32. ↑ "How to Eat Lilacs (and Other Ways to Use Them)". Practical Self Reliance. 12 May 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  33. ↑ "Edible Wild Food Blog » Lilac Flowers for Eye Health" . Retrieved 12 January 2022.
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