2022 - Year of the Lilac

In the Garden

Ralph Purkhiser, Purdue University Master Gardener

     We continue this week with the plants being recognized by the National Garden Bureau.  In the flowering shrub category, 2022 has been named the Year of the Lilac. 

     Regular readers know that Sandhill Gardens includes a lot of different lilacs.  Lilacs were one of the first things my grandmother planted here nearly a hundred years ago, and several of those old shrubs are still perfuming the air in spring.  Grandma’s old-fashioned lilacs were light purple and white, but I have added more colors and several different species.  I can now enjoy the scent of lilacs for most of the summer!

     The common lilac is known botanically as Syringa vulgaris.  The genus name (syringa) comes from the Greek word syrinx, meaning pipe.  Common lilac stems have a spongy pith that may be pushed out, leaving hollow pipes.  These pipes have been used for many things, including pan-pipes.  If one includes the music of the pan-pipes, it may be said that lilacs may be enjoyed through any of the five senses.  Yes, the flowers are edible and are sometimes used in making jelly.

     The common lilac is native to southeast Europe, but they had made their way to France by the Middle Ages, where breeding resulted in many of the old cultivars that ultimately made their way to America.  From Colonial times, lilacs were among the favorite plants in gardens, bringing at least a little bit of beauty and culture to the frontier.  Although there are no lilacs native to North America, you may find lilacs that still grow around old homesteads.  The shrubs may live more than a century, as the ones at Sandhill Gardens have done.  Although you may find lilacs growing in the wild, they have not become invasive. 

     More recently, Asian lilacs have made their way to America.  In general, Asian lilacs have smaller flower panicles on smaller bushes.  These smaller bushes allowed the beauty and scent of lilacs to be included in smaller gardens.  Some of the Asian lilacs re-bloom, extending the lilac season.

      While there are only about 30 species within the genus Syringa, selective breeding has resulted in more than 600 named cultivars in Syringa vulgaris alone, and more hybrids are being released every year.  Breeding programs have been concentrating on three main traits: size, heat tolerance, and re-blooming.  The results have been impressive.

     Several new hybrid selections have made it possible to include lilacs in even the smallest gardens.  The smallest, known as “Baby Kim”, grows to only 2 to 3 feet tall and wide.  It is hardy to zone 3, so it may be planted in a pot and left outdoors in the winter in our zone 6 gardens.  That accomplishment makes it possible to even grow lilacs on city balconies.

     I admit that I have some zonal envy, always wishing I could grow plants that require a warmer environment.  My consolation has been that people who live in the south could not grow lilacs, which falter in areas warmer than zone 7.  The new breeding programs have now produced cultivars that will thrive in zone 8.  Hoosiers who have relocated to at least northern Florida may now be able to grow lilacs without returning to the north for their lilac fix.

     The Bloomerang series has also successfully extended the bloom season for lilacs.  This series, and others, reliably produce blooms periodically from spring through autumn frost.

      If you want to celebrate the Year of the Lilac by adding a new cultivar to your garden, I suggest you visit some of the nurseries in the area come spring.  You may order lilacs, but the mail-order starts tend to be small and may take years to produce flowers.  I strongly suggest buying locally.