Lilac in our country is perhaps the most popular type of ornamental shrub. They plant it in the front gardens of small country houses, and next to residential cottages. This unpretentious plant practically does not require care and tolerates both severe frosts and drought. There are several types of lilac. In addition, recently a large number of its varieties have been bred by breeders. About which of them should be chosen for decorating the yard and how to grow lilacs correctly, read the article.
A bit of history
We will talk about what types of lilacs a little later. To begin with, let's figure out where this plant actually came from.
In Europe, lilacs began to grow only in the 16th century. For the first time, the French ambassador from Turkey brought her to the Old World. Initially, this ornamental plant was grown only in the royal gardens. However, due to its unpretentiousness, lilacs quickly spread throughout the country. From France, lilacs were brought to Austria, and then to England. Later, this plant received recognition in Russia.
Lilac: types
Of the most popular varieties of this ornamental shrub, Hungarian, Chinese and Amur lilacs are distinguished. The first two species are not the most attractive. They are often grown in shaded areas.
To the question of how many species of lilac exist in nature in general, a clear answer is impossible to give. Today, there are several thousand of them. There are 30 main varieties, often used for landscaping yards and streets. Let's consider what features the most popular types differ in.
Hungarian lilacs can reach a height of 3-4 m and is considered a good stock for most old varieties. Wild lilac grows in Hungary, the Carpathians and Yugoslavia. There are two of its garden forms. They have pale purple and reddish-purple flowers.
Chinese lilac is a hybrid of ordinary and Persian lilacs. In fact, this is not a variety, but a variety bred a very long time ago, in 1777, in France. The most common are three types of such lilacs: purple, pale purple and dark purple. The latter is considered the most beautiful.
Amur Lilac
In Russia, in nature, this ornamental shrub grows in the Amur Region, the Urals, the Arctic and Arkhangelsk. All wild species of lilac in Russia and other countries prefer well-lit areas. They quickly sprout and are quite decorative. Amur lilac growing in the Far East and in China is no exception to this rule. It is a multi-stem tree, in natural conditions reaching a height of 20 m, with a very dense spreading crown. This is one of the few varieties of lilac that feels great when planting next to a pond. Most often, Amur lilacs are used in group stripes when landscaping cities and towns.
There are other, less common, but also quite beautiful types of lilacs: drooping, small-leaved, Preston, etc.
Varieties of lilac
Breeders were engaged in this decorative shrub quite actively. What kinds of lilac are you already know. Let's see what popular varieties of this plant exist. At the moment, a fairly large number of them are displayed. When choosing the most suitable summer residents and owners of suburban residential buildings usually focus on the color of the panicles. Of the most common varieties with purple flowers, one can distinguish:
- Vesuvius. This is a lilac with purple-red panicles of 8x18 cm and a pronounced aroma. Flowering in this variety is moderate, and the bush is not too high and compact enough.
- Violetta is a lilac with dark purple double and semi-double large flowers. Bushes of this variety of lilac grow very high.
- Cavour. This is one of the darkest purple varieties. Its inflorescences are very large, wide-pyramidal, reach a length of 24 cm.
The most popular types of white lilacs:
- Vestal. Lilac with pure white flowers collected in large (up to 20 cm) multi-vertex panicles.
- Joan of Arc. Terry variety with white flowers, with a very pleasant smell. The bush does not grow too high. Flowering is plentiful.
- Madame Abel Chantanne. Also a terry variety with milky white flowers. Inflorescences can reach a length of 24 cm and a width of 20 cm. This low shrub is currently considered one of the most beautiful.
Of the pink and red varieties of lilac, one can distinguish:
- Belle de Nancy. The flowers of this species are lilac-pink, with a silver tint, terry and very fragrant. This variety is not bad for cutting.
- Gaya Vata. Inflorescences of this variety are raspberry pink, very dense, up to 30 cm long. The bush can reach a height of up to 2.5 m. Flowering is plentiful.
- Beauty Nancy with pale pink flowers that have a beautiful silver tint. This variety is considered one of the best terry varieties of a similar color.
- Sensation. The flowers of this lilac are purple-red, with a clear white border. They have practically no smell.
Varieties and types of lilacs (photos with names can be seen in the article) are very diverse. The color of the panicles of this plant varies from very light to dark. Even the usual purple varieties can have many shades. When selecting, you need to pay attention, including the size of the inflorescences. Of course, the larger they are, the more beautiful the bush looks.
The choice of seedlings of a plant such as lilac, the species and varieties of which are unusually diverse, is a simple matter. You can plant lilac on the plot with panicles of the same color or different. In any case, this plant will delight the eye, and in the spring it will fill the yard with a pleasant delicate aroma.
Breeding
All species of lilac propagate either vegetatively or by seeds. In the first case, cuttings, vaccinations or layering are used. Varietal lilacs can only be propagated vegetatively. Cuttings are usually cut during flowering, a little roughened. However, domestic gardeners most often breed lilacs with layering. The best landing time is September-October. You can carry out this operation in the spring, but preferably early - in late March or early April.
Where is best to grow
Varieties and types of lilacs (photos with names clearly demonstrate the beauty of these plants) are diverse. The choice of meta for bushes should be made in compliance with certain rules.
The soil for lilac is slightly acidic or neutral loamy, or sandy loam. This plant should not be planted where groundwater comes too close to the surface. It is not recommended to choose plants and areas with too nutritious soil for this. In this case, the plant will not develop roots and bloom. For the same reason, lilacs do not fertilize.
In the northern regions and in central Russia, this ornamental shrub is usually grown in sunny places. In the southern regions penumbra is chosen for him. With too much light, lilac flowers begin to fade.
How to plant
Planting lilacs is a very simple matter. The seedling should have a root system of approximately 25 cm in diameter. They dig a square hole under it. The length of its side should be twice the diameter of the root system. You can add a little peat to the soil removed from the pit. The seedling is planted with roots on the bottom and sprinkled with soil. The trunk circle is trampled underfoot. Next, make an earthen roller and carefully fill the plant with water.
On cloudy days, lilacs can be planted in the daytime. In solar this procedure is usually done in the evening. Lilacs, species and varieties (photos illustrating the article confirm this) which are actually beautiful and plentiful, in this case they will feel much better and will take faster.
How to propagate lilac cuttings
It is also a fairly common method of reproduction. The length of the cuttings should be about 15 cm. The lower leaves should be removed from them. The rest are cut in half. Also, at the right angle, the tip of each shank is removed. Further, planting material prepared in this way should be placed for 16 hours in glasses filled with a concentrated aqueous solution of heteroauxin (150 mg per liter). Then the cuttings are washed and planted in the shade in a specially prepared soil. The latter is done by mixing 1/4 high peat, 2/4 lowland and 1/4 coarse perlite. Previously, drainage from crushed stone (10 cm) and rotted manure (15 cm) are filled up at the landing site. The layer of the soil mixture itself should be 5 cm. Do not add sand to it. Lilac, species and varieties of which in most cases are very hardy and take root well, has a not too developed root system. In the sand, the cuttings will stick poorly.
The distance between the cuttings is usually 5 cm, between the rows - 10 cm. Planting is carefully shed and covered with polyethylene stretched over the frame. Ventilate the cuttings after 1.5-2 months, opening the greenhouse in the evenings. Watering is carried out no more than once a week. In autumn or next spring, cuttings are transplanted into the yard or garden.
Lilac Care
The first time a seedling planted in a permanent place must be watered periodically (as the soil dries). In rainy weather, it is not necessary to moisten the soil under the plants. The taken bush will grow independently. No types of lilacs practically require watering and top dressing. The only thing is that the soil in the near-stem circle will have to be weeded for the first time - until the bush grows a thick crown - weed.
How to crop
Unpretentiousness is distinguished by all types of lilacs. Growing them is a procedure that takes absolutely no time. Only in the spring, most likely, you will have to trim the bushes - very often the lilac gives two trunks. Such plants do not look very neat, so the second trunk of the bush is usually removed.
The actual formation of the bush is done by trimming sticking out and growing inward branches. This operation must be performed in the spring, not earlier than in the second or third year after planting. Frozen branches, if any, and shoots are also removed.
The second pruning is done immediately after flowering. This time all dry panicles are cut. If you leave them, the bush will not look too neat.
As you can see, a plant like lilac does not take much time. She practically does not require personal care. Moreover, all types of lilacs are distinguished by high decorative qualities. This explains their unusual popularity.