Profile: Lilacs

Fluffy, fragrant flowers herald the spring season

Written by Molly Dean

Photo: Lynn Karlin

There are more than a thousand varieties of lilacs, all members of the olive family (Oleaceae). Brought to Europe from Turkey, the shrubs eventually found their way to the gardens of early American settlers. French hybridizer Victor Lemoine created the first double lilacs toward the end of the 19th century. During the 20th century, American breeders produced new classics like ‘Wedgewood Blue’, and helped expand the lilac’s color range, which now encompasses purple, pink, white, yellow, red, magenta, blue-lavender and bicolors.

Also during this period, new hardier, longer-blooming lilacs were introduced from Asia, including the beloved ‘Miss Kim’, a sweetly scented beauty with dark purple buds opening to soft lavender flowers, paling as they mature. Today the trend is toward dwarf lilacs: Bailey Nurseries, in St. Paul, Minnesota, recently introduced the new Fairytale series, as exquisite and perfumed as larger varieties, but compact enough to tuck into small spaces.

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