Lilac Facts
For those who are unaware of the history of lilac facts, they most likely don’t know that Rochester, New York is the unofficial lilac capital of the world. Their love for the fragrant flowers is evident in their two week celebration held each year to herald the return of the beautiful blossoms.
Lilacs have been in the United States since the mid 1700’s, although it seems uncertain as to exactly when and how they arrived here. Historic lilac facts, however, do show that George Washington himself was a fan of the lovely shrubs, as they were known to be growing in gardens of his home. Today, there are over 1,000 known varieties of the lilac.
Enjoying a sunny location, lilacs will grow at a quick rate. Depending on the variety of lilac, facts show that shrubs can range between 4 feet tall to around 30 feet tall, and can live for hundreds of years. For those who have taller varieties in their yards, it is possible to constrain the growth rate of the lilac. By pruning the lilac bush back, the height of the bush will kept in check, but another advantage is that the bush will continue to wear a full coat of blooms in the spring. When lilac bushes grow too tall, flower growth will be limited to the top of the shrub.
The flower of the lilac is the focal point of the bush. Unfortunately, the bloom time of the lilac is much too short. A single bush may flower for as long as two weeks in the spring, but rarely any longer. Thanks to the availability of multiple varieties of the lilac, facts that sweet scented blooms lasting as long as two months are indeed true as each variety takes its turn at center stage of the garden. Careful planning is needed when choosing the lilac varieties to ensure that early season, mid-season and late season bloomers are planted. The flowers grow in clusters, forming a conical shape. Several different colors of lilacs may be seen; white, pink, lilac, purple and dark purple. True lilac is the most popular and the most common of all colors.
Next to the rose, the lilac is the most fragrant flower known, although the scent of the lilac blossoms can carry for greater distances. Great for use as cut flowers, the perfume quickly fills rooms when sprigs of the lilac are displayed in vases.
Even those who are not familiar with lilac facts such as Rochester, New York’s annual Lilac Festival or that lilac bushes in some locations may be over one hundred years old, there is one aspect of the lilac that almost everyone knows; the incredible fragrance. There are few flowers that can complete with the unforgettable scent of the lilac.