Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) is one of the most popular garden crops in our region. It belongs to the genus Lilacs of the Olive family. It is a poisonous plant. Contains a lot of essential oils and glucoside syringin.
Botanical Description
Lilac - deciduous shrub with multiple trunks reaching a diameter of 20 centimeters. Plant height - from 2 to 8 meters. Fruits - a two-nested box of oval shape, in which there are from 2 to 4 seeds with wings. Flowering is plentiful and annual.
Common lilac prefers neutral soils, does not like waterlogging.
The leaves are simple and opposite, 4 to 12 cm long, 3 to 8 cm wide. Cut leaves to the top. After the fall, they remain green, especially in the southern regions, they can be found even under the snow and it seems that they just fell from a branch.
In young bushes, the bark is smooth, greenish-olive, then it becomes gray or gray-brown. The crown of common lilac in diameter reaches an average of 3.5 to 4 meters.
Flowers and propagation
The flowering period of the shrub occurs in May-June. However, where the climate is warmer, it can begin to bloom in mid-April. Flowering and fruiting - from the 4th year of life. Flowers do not fall for a long time, upright. Their color is very diverse: from saturated lilac, violet shades to white.
Propagation of the common lilac occurs by root offspring or shoots from a stump. Under favorable natural conditions, seeds can germinate the next year, new specimens grow from them. Vegetative propagation is used to breed new hybrids.
Seedlings of a plant develop for a very long time, and only in the second year, when they get stronger, can they be planted in open ground.
Life span
The bush can live about 100 years. There is even a plant that could survive to 130 years, it was planted back in 1801. There are specimens in the Askania Nova park that are already 60 years old.
Area
The natural habitat is quite extensive - the Balkan Peninsula (Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Yugoslavia), as well as the lower reaches of the Danube, the south of the Carpathian Mountains, Serbia.
On the territory of the former USSR it is cultivated in almost all regions. In Russia - at a latitude from Yekaterinburg to St. Petersburg, in the southern part of Siberia.
It prefers forest-steppes and steppes, grows on empty slopes.
Practical use in medicine
Despite the toxicity, common lilac is a plant widely used as an anesthetic and antimalarial. For these purposes, use shrub flowers. Leaves are put into operation in the presence of purulent wounds.
In addition, lilacs are used in the treatment of:
- whooping cough;
- renal pathologies, mainly in combination with linden flowers;
- rheumatism;
- laryngitis;
- to increase visual acuity;
- pulmonary tuberculosis.
Lilac is used as tea, tinctures, added to ointments.
Landscaping
First of all, the shrub is used as a soil-protective plant on the slopes, which are often subjected to erosion, erosion.
The shrub appeared in Europe in the XVI century, it was brought to Italy and Vienna from Turkey, where it was called “lilac”. The imported plant bloomed for the first time in 1589 in the Vienna Botanical Garden.
Until the 19th century, lilacs occupied a very modest place in landscape design. After all, the flowering period of the plant is very short, and not always regular. However, thanks to the efforts of breeder Victor Lemoine, everything changed after 1880. He managed to bring about ten varieties, some of them are still the reference. The breeder received hybrids with luxurious lush flowers, with full inflorescences. Victor Lemoine also brought out lilac with terry petals of various colors.
The son and grandson of the breeder continued his work, and by 1960 the nursery "Victor Lemoine and Son" totaled 214 varieties and hybrids.
From the beginning of the 20th century, breeding was carried out in France, Germany and the Netherlands. A huge contribution to obtaining new species was made by the Dutchman Maars. He developed 22 varieties, one of which is especially famous - 1953 Flora, the diameter of the flowers of the common lilac of this variety reaches 3.5 centimeters.
North America
In the same period, the plant gained popularity in North America, breeders are engaged in the cultivation of new varieties. In 1892, the famous specialist John Dunbar not only creates hybrids of lilacs, but also lays a garden in Rochester, which by the end of the XIX century becomes the venue for the annual theme festival. Landscaping experts gather here today.
Canada also did not stand aside: in the city of Hamilton there is the largest syringary, in which there are about 800 copies of lilacs.
Russia
In our country, breeding varieties was handled by a self-taught breeder from Moscow - Kolesnikov Leonid Alekseevich. He managed to breed about 300 species, but unfortunately only 50 varieties survived. It was this man who developed the Beauty of Moscow variety in 1947, which became incredibly popular among gardeners. In 1973, Kolesnikov’s work was recognized internationally, he was awarded the highest award - the Golden Branch of Lilac.
Naturally, in the vastness of Russia he was not the only breeder; Lipetsk specialist Vekhov N.K. and Mikhailov N.L. were engaged in the breeding of new varieties.
In this direction, work was actively carried out in many botanical gardens of the country. 16 varieties were bred in the same garden of the Academy of Sciences of Belarus. These species are distinguished by decorativeness and a high degree of resistance to urban conditions.
International classification
Naturally, the worldwide popularity of the plant required the creation of a certain classification. The current standardization for colors was proposed back in 1942 by J. Wister.
Common lilac: description, classifications
According to the shape of the flower, two categories are distinguished:
Color Standards:
The code | Color |
I | White |
II | Purple |
III | Blue |
IV | Lilac |
V | Pink |
VI | Magentovy |
VII | Purple |
VIII | Complex color, transitional |
Combined codes are also used, when the color of a flower falls into two or more categories, then the code is indicated through a slash. If the color changes during flowering, then the codes are written through a hyphen.
Species diversity
Wild lilac does not differ in variety. However, the contribution of breeders to the development of varietal diversity is enormous, therefore, to date, lilacs are widely used in the design of gardens and in the creation of hedges. Varieties differ not only in the color of the flowers, but also in the flowering period, the size of the bush, the shape and arrangement of inflorescences.
Common varieties of common lilac:
Madame Lemoine | The most popular species, with terry white flowers. The breeder named this variety after his wife. The sprawling bush reaches a height of 3 meters and lives up to 30 years. The plant does not like waterlogged soil and shaded places, it is frost-resistant. Flowers have a delicate aroma. Flowering occurs in June. |
Amy Schott | The variety was bred in 1933. The flowers are dark blue with a cobalt hue. Diameter - 2.5 centimeters, terry and fragrant. The bushes are tall, with wide branches. |
Belle de Nancy | Terry variety with pink and purple flowers, with a smooth transition into light blue. Petals always twist inward. Diameter of flowers - up to 2 centimeters. |
Violetta | The bush was bred back in 1915, has large flowers up to 3 centimeters in diameter. Color: light purple to deep purple. At the initial stage of growth, the leaves have a brown coating, and then become dark green. Most often used for distillation. |
Gaya Vata | Inflorescences reach 30 centimeters, the flowers are raspberry pink. The bush itself is medium in size, with oval and hard leaves. |
The beauty of Moscow | The buds are lilac-pink, when they bloom, become white-pink with a touch of nacre. Flowers in diameter can reach 2.5 cm. The bush blooms for a long time. |
The memory of Kolesnikov | The common lilac of this variety got its name in 1974, after the death of the breeder. Inflorescences reach a height of 20 centimeters, flowers in diameter about 3 centimeters. Unopened buds have a creamy yellow undertone, and blossoming flowers are absolutely snow-white. This is a terry look with flowers similar to polyanthus roses, while they absolutely do not lose their attractive shape until they completely fade. |
Leonid Leonov | Bred by Leonid Kolesnikov in 1941. The buds are purple-purple, after they bloom, become purple with a slight purple tint in the middle. The lower part of the flower is light purple. The bushes are compact and medium in size, bloom very plentifully. |
Madame Casimir Perrier | The variety was bred in 1894 by Victor Lemoine. The flowers are medium in size, terry, creamy white. The plant blooms profusely, so it is often used for landscaping and for cutting. |
Naturally, these are not all varieties of common lilac, today more than two thousand of them are known.
Some interesting facts
It is impossible to confuse the aroma of lilac with anything, it is slightly viscous and very sweet. But few people know that there is a species that does not have any smell - this is the Hungarian lilac.
Lilac oil is one of the most expensive in the world, it costs more than gold. The cost of one kilogram is 100 thousand dollars. This is due to the fact that the oil production process is very laborious.
It is not recommended to leave a bouquet of lilacs at night near you, in most cases in the morning a person feels a headache. This is due to the fact that the plant is poisonous and emits toxic substances.
In the Latvian city of Sigulda, a lilac branch is painted on the coat of arms.
Everyone knows the sign, if you find a five-petal flower of the common lilac, then you need to eat it, having first made a wish. But there is another sign, it is necessary to get rid of flowers with three petals, since they are a failure.
In some cultures of the world, lilac symbolizes farewell. If a bouquet with these flowers was presented in an Eastern country, then it was perceived as a completely transparent hint of an upcoming breakup. In England, the bride gave the failed bride as a sign that she was against the engagement.
Do not scold a person for tearing a lilac. In fact, next year there will be much more peduncles on such a bush.