Lilacs at the Arnold Arboretum

The renowned lilac collection 1. Syringa vulgaris 'St. Margaret' pollinated seeds of S. persica, a cut-leaf S. × hyacinthiflora after Victor Lemoine of (Syringa spp.) at the Arnold Syringa vulgaris, the common lilac, is one of lilac, sent by the Beijing Botanical Garden. France in 1876 noticed that the resulting two European lilacs. 'Syringa' comes from The most promising and vigorous seedling blossoms of such a cross resembled Arboretum holds more than the Greek ‘syrinx’ meaning hollow pipe, as was selected by Jack and named to honor hyacinths. Father Fiala introduced 78 lilac 400 lilac plants representing in syringe, and refers to the easily hollowed the Arboretum’s annual celebration in cultivars. 1997. Fragrant, pale purple flowers spring 179 different kinds. Many of out stems of the lilac. This cultivar, 8. Syringa vulgaris 'Hulda' introduced by Mary E. Blacklock, owner from all sides of the long inflorescences, these are cultivars or varieties, Hulda Klager ran her own garden in of Rowancroft Gardens, Ontario, has the typically in time to live up to its name. Washington State, introducing more selected for horticultural merits heart-shaped leaves typical of S. vulgaris 5. Syringa vulgaris 'Frederick Law than 100 new lilac cultivars. When the such as flower size, fragrance, and has double white flowers. Olmsted' Columbia River flooded her property in color, and overall growth habit. 2. Syringa reticulata This cultivar is named in honor of the 1948, most of her lilac collection was Others are the parents of many Look up and across the path to see the landscape architect of New York’s Central destroyed. However, former customers of today’s hybrids. Lilacs are in Japanese tree lilac. This is the oldest lilac in Park and Harvard University’s Arnold brought her cuttings and, at the age of the olive family; other relatives our collection, grown from seed sent to the Arboretum. It was introduced in 1987 85, she was able to restore her garden. newly-created Arnold Arboretum in 1876 by Highland Park (also designed by 'Hulda', named in her honor in 1929, has growing on Bussey Hill include by Professor W. S. Clark who was helping Olmsted), located in Rochester, NY. rich purple flowers and a rounded habit, ash trees and forsythia. establish an agricultural school in Japan. with great resistance to powdery mildew. 6. Syringa vulgaris 'Charm' This blooms a few weeks later than most With its plump pink blossoms, 'Charm' 9. Syringa vulgaris 'Sarah Sands' Although not a native plant, tree lilacs with a creamy white flower. Two was introduced by Theodore Havemeyer of With purple flowers a similar color to younger Japanese tree lilacs may be seen lilacs have been grown in North Long Island, NY, who inherited a fortune 'Hulda', this upright lilac commands beyond S. vulgaris 'Prairie Petite' (11). America since colonial times. from his family’s sugar refining business. less space. Introduced by Theodore Today, they enrich our landscape 3. Syringa oblata var. dilatata 'Cheyenne' This allowed him to employ a staff of Havemeyer of New York, it was, like with color and fragrance for up Native to Korea and nearby regions of gardeners. He imported a selection of 'Charm', not added to the official Register China, this bush lilac was introduced by the lilacs from Victor Lemoine of France in of Lilacs until the 1940’s, several years to five weeks each spring. Every USDA in Cheyenne, Wyoming from seed 1910 and he and his staff introduced 45 after his death. May, the Arnold Arboretum collected in China. The leaves are oblate lilac cultivars before his death in 1936. 10. Syringa vulgaris 'Krasavitsa Moskvy' (wider in the middle) as is the earth, the welcomes all to celebrate its 7. Syringa × hyacinthiflora In 1947, Leonid Kolesnikov of Russia distance around the equator being greater magnificent display of these named this cultivar 'Beauty of Moscow' than that from pole to pole. This early- 'Blanche Sweet' as in a beautiful woman from Moscow. much beloved flowers. flowering species also offers fall interest, Blanche Sweet was a famous silent movie The flower buds, described as “pink with with its dark green leaves turning bronze, actress in the early 1900s. In 1981, her an opalescent sheen,” open to double burgundy and maroon. fan club asked Father John Fiala, an Ohio priest with a passion for lilacs, to white fragrant flowers. 4. Syringa × chinensis 'Lilac Sunday' introduce a lilac in her honor. This is a 11. Syringa vulgaris 'Prairie Petite' A cultivar introduced by former Arboretum cross between a European S. vulgaris and This dwarf lilac rarely grows beyond 4 propagator Jack Alexander from cross- an Asian S. oblata. This cross was named feet in height or width. Introduced by the University of Nebraska in 1996 after introduced 248 new plant varieties, many 18. Syringa pinnatifolia Record your favorite lilacs for scent, color, experiments irradiating seeds thirty years of them lilacs. At the age of 65 in 1947, This Chinese native was first discovered by flower size, and shrub shape. earlier, this lilac is tolerant of drought, Skinner married and had five children, his plant explorer Ernest Henry Wilson in the heat, and cold and is ideal for a small heirs preserving the Skinner Arboretum mountains of Sichuan in 1904. This shrub garden. which is still open today. blooms early in the season, producing 12. Syringa vulgaris 'President Lincoln' 15. Syringa 'Purple Haze' small panicles of white flowers. Unique among lilacs, this species has pinnately This lilac was considered the blue by This cross between two Asian lilacs, S. compound leaves, meaning that each which other blues were measured when oblata and S. protolaciniata, was introduced leaf is actually composed of many introduced in 1916 by John Dunbar of in 2005 by Jack Alexander, then Arnold small leaflets. Highland Park, Rochester, NY. The name Arboretum plant propagator and a refers to a line in Walt Whitman’s poem Jimi Hendrix fan. With long panicles 19. Field of Lilacs of 1865, “When lilacs last in the dooryard of sterile flowers, this lilac does not Enjoy three S. × hyacinthaflora cultivars: bloomed...,” mourning the assassination need deadheading. 'Foxey Lady', a 'Necker' (Victor Lemoine, 1932) of President Abraham Lincoln. hybrid thought to have been the result in the center of the field with of pollination by hawk moths, also 13. Syringa vulgaris 'Madame Lemoine' 'Nokomis' and 'Pocahontas' introduced by Jack Alexander, is a little (both Frank L. Skinner, 1936) Victor Lemoine, who introduced many HUNNEWELL farther up the path. to the right. VISITOR CENTER ‘French’ lilacs in the late 1800s, had poor ARBORWAY eyesight. Much of the delicate work of 16. Syringa × diversifolia GATE pollination, climbing a ladder to brush S. × diversifolia refers to the multiple pollen from one lilac to the flower of shaped leaves on this lilac, one big leaf another, was performed by his wife. Son alongside two or three smaller leaves. In N Emile and grandson Henri continued 1929, Alfred Rehder, Arnold Arboretum

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t named this lilac in honor of his mother. seedlings showed that the flowers had h M A e r a b d o o been pollinated by an S. oblata growing LEVENTRITT w r w R 14. Syringa × hyacinthiflora 'Asessippi' SHRUB & VINE o a a y d / GARDEN R nearby. The white flowers of S. × diversifolia o u Frank L. Skinner of Dropmore, Manitoba Azaleas t e 20 bloom early and then turn brown. 3 introduced this lilac in 1932. 'Asessippi' CENTRE STREET B GATE us sey BRADLEY Hi ll R ROSACEOUS has a showy, bushy habit with flowers 17. Syringa protolaciniata 'Kabul' oa d COLLECTION from top to bottom, a rich fragrance, Lilacs This cut-leaf lilac is also known as S. Faulkner d a t o Hospital e R e ills r Forest H and is disease resistant, all qualities much laciniata or S. afghanica. This particular t S O a e k r t P n Hickories a e t BUSSEY HILL sought after in a lilac. Skinner pioneered cultivar, 'Kabul', was named for the city C h State Lab horticulture on the Canadian prairie in Afghanistan by Peter S. Green, a former Walnuts Oaks Forest Hills north of Winnipeg, where only three Arboretum propagator. 'Kabul' is one of WASHINGTON MBTA Station Orange Line STREET months of the year are without frost. He EXPLORERS GATE the parent plants of S. × 'Purple Haze'. Azaleas Blackwell Footpath GARDEN Conifers

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Washington Street th Pa Beech Continue your visit h t a SOUTH STREET P r e GATE if on Near the top of the Lilac Collection, head off to the right to visit the C k Rh emloc Hill Roa od H d ode ndr t h Rhododendrons on Pa Leventritt Shrub and Vine Collection. Explorers Garden is located at VFW P arkway WALTER STREET EMLOCK ILL Hebrew GATE H H the top of Bussey Hill Road and the Conifer Collection begins beyond BUSSEY STREET Senior Life GATE Busse y Str the nut trees on Valley Road. If you continue on Valley Road, you may eet PETERS HILL t e GATE e r find rhododendrons in bloom. Cross Bussey Street to Peters Hill to Weld Building t S r e lt a enjoy the crabapple collection. Centre Street W Pet ers H ill POPLAR WELD HILL Ro t ad e ATE e G r t S Visit arboretum.harvard.edu/explorer to navigate the landscape d Street h Wel Crabapples t u o and search for plants from you smartphone. S PETERS HILL

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