Types and varieties of bush lilac
Although lilac is a fairly tall plant, it is classified as a shrub. Lilac genus Shrubs, Olive family. Currently, more than 30 species are known, most of them wild plants. They can be found in Southeast Europe and Asia (mainly China). Just like domestic varieties, wild representatives of this genus have beautiful flowers.
Lilac blossom
Flowers can be of different colors: white, lilac, purple, pink. Collected in a panicle. The leaves are usually entire, oppositely arranged, and fall off in the fall. The fruit is a capsule.
In gardens, different types of lilac can be found in all corners of Eurasia. The most widespread is the common lilac.
Common lilac
Large shrub, up to 6 meters high. The descriptions of all varieties are similar. The leaves are dense, smooth, dark green, up to 12 cm long, located on 3 cm petioles. Flowers of different shades of purple, collected in pyramidal inflorescences, up to 20 cm long, bloom at the age of 4 years. South-Eastern Europe is considered its homeland.
For active flowering, fertile loamy soil is required. It also grows well in poorer soils. Tolerates minor drought, frost resistance is average. Can grow in urban environments, allowing a little shade. The root system is powerful, which must be taken into account when planting.
Lilac in the city
It has a large number of varieties, with different flowering periods and different shades of flowers. Breeders have even developed varieties with yellow and pure pink flowers. The following varieties are popular:
- Lilac variety Hydrangea;
- Dzhambul;
- India;
- Bohdan Khmelnytsky;
- And other varieties.
Persian lilac
As a result of selection, crossing the small cut lilac with the Afghan lilac, the Persian lilac bush was obtained. Its height does not exceed 2 meters, the branches are widely spread out. Young branches have slight pubescence. Mature branches are brown and thin.
The flowers have a strong aroma and are white or white-purple in color. Inflorescences up to 10 cm long and up to 7.5 cm wide develop from the upper lateral buds.
Persian lilac
Persian lilac blooms in May. Fruiting occurs in July-August. Not found in the wild.
Chinese hybrid lilac
In 1777, another type of lilac was obtained in France - the Chinese hybrid. It was bred by crossing common lilac with Persian lilac. This is a powerful shrub with spreading branches, its height reaches 5 m. It has pointed ovoid leaves and large flowers, the diameter of which reaches 1.8 cm. They are collected in panicles, the length of which is up to 10 cm.
After blooming, the flowers have a reddish-purple hue and a delicate, pleasant aroma. Currently, varieties have been bred with white, pink and dark pink double flowers.
Shaggy lilac
It has a second name - hairy. Shrub up to 4 m high. Dense foliage, erect branches. Branches older than 2 years are bare and brownish-yellow in color. Grows in China.
It has fragrant flowers of a delicate purple color, collected in inflorescences, the length of which reaches 15-30 cm. It blooms in June-July. Frost resistance is good. Used for landscaping, both in group plantings and as a hedge.
Lilac Zvyagintseva
It received its name in honor of the governor of Riga - Zvyagintsev. It was discovered recently by the expedition of G.N. Potanin. It grows naturally in the mountain valleys of China.
Variety Zvyagintseva
The height of the bush is up to 5 meters, the crown is dense, the branches are erect. Leaf length is from 4 to 11 cm. There are sparse hairs on top of the leaves. The buds are pink. The flowers are very fragrant. When flowering, the bush looks impressive; the flowering period is about 2 weeks.
Amur lilac
Under natural conditions, it can be found in the Far East and China. Under favorable conditions it grows up to 20 m. In gardens the maximum height is about 10 m.
The biggest disadvantage is that Amur lilac blooms at 9-10 years of age. Flowering is quite long - 20 days. Grows well in urban conditions and is frost-resistant.
Hungarian lilac
In the wild it is found in the Carpathians, Hungary and Yugoslavia. The shrub is relatively low, on average 3-4 m, maximum height is 7 m. There are many branches. The flowers are long, tubular, often purple, and not very fragrant.
The plant is unpretentious and grows quickly even in an urban environment. Tolerates dust and natural anomalies well. Flowering lasts 3-4 weeks.
Beautiful legend or true story
There is an ancient and beautiful legend about the origin of lilacs, which goes back to the gods and myths. According to her, one day the god Pan was walking through forests, meadows and fields. He saw the most beautiful nymph in the world - Syringa, who is the harbinger of the morning dawn.
Pan fell madly in love with the beauty and decided to make friends with her. But the nymph got scared and tried to run away from him. When the girl realized that she could not hide, she turned into a beautiful bush with lilac flowers.
God Pan became very sad and sat down under a bush to think. He made a pipe out of a lilac branch and began to play it. From then on, every time he started playing, he thought and yearned for his beautiful and mysterious Syringa. This is exactly how lilac appeared in the world.
This beautiful legend appeared due to the fact that translated from Greek, lilac means “tube”. And with its beauty the bush is able to conquer many hearts and souls.
The beauty was brought to Europe only in the 16th century. Since then, she has been able to conquer almost every owner of a personal plot. Today, lilac bushes can be found in almost every home - they have many varieties and colors that can decorate any area.
Types and varieties of tree lilac
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The tree lilac looks a lot like a tree, but is actually a shrub.
Meyer
Compact dwarf lilac bushes of this variety do not grow more than 1.5 m. Over the course of a year, the plant grows only 10 cm. The shoots are brown, the leaves are small, up to 47 cm. The inflorescence length is on average 10 cm. Various colors: white, purple, red . It blooms in the last ten days of May - the first ten days of June. It withstands both harsh winters and dry summers.
Ludwig Speth
A spreading shrub with bright purple flowers collected in a large panicle. Grows up to 3.5 cm. Lives for more than 100 years. Grows quickly. Homeland - Germany.
Miss Canada
An unpretentious plant, reaches a height of 2.5 m. It blooms profusely, the flowers are small, burgundy-red. Prefers sunny areas with loose soil.
Michelle Buechner
Light-loving bush up to 4 m high. Prefers fertile soils with good lighting. It grows well in urban conditions; this variety is used for landscaping. The flowers are double, lilac in color. It blooms at the end of May and blooms for quite a long time.
Madame Lemoine
The variety acquired its name in honor of the wife of the French breeder Victor Lemoine, who bred it. The panicles are large, up to 20 cm in length and up to 8 cm in width. In buds, the petals are initially green, but when they bloom, they change color to white. Blooms profusely every year.
Beauty of Moscow
This beautiful variety is distinguished by double flowers, similar to rose flowers. The color is pinkish-white. The diameter of the flower reaches 2.5 cm, the length of the panicle is 25 cm.
Moscow beauty
Blooms for a long time. A very beautiful and unusual variety.
Sensation
The variety got its name for its unusual flowers, bright purple with a white border. The flowers are large, with a faint aroma. The leaves are dark green. Mainly propagated by cuttings.
Accubifolia
It differs from other varieties in its unusual variegated foliage color. The flowers are semi-double, quite large, with a strong aroma. The bush is tall, under favorable conditions it grows up to 4 m.
Types and varieties of indoor lilacs
Juniper - shrub or tree, how to propagate and plant it
It is almost impossible to grow lilacs in a house or apartment. But there is a plant called plectranthus hybridus. Its second name is indoor lilac. Those who see it for the first time immediately wonder: are lilacs flowers or a shrub?
Its feature is long flowering. The bush blooms in February and blooms until the end of autumn. Grows well in a pot on the windowsill. The flowers are lilac and turn pale in low light.
Plectranthus hybridus
Minimal care: watering, loosening, fertilizing and pruning. In summer, plectranthus can be planted in open ground.
Growing rules
It is better to plant decorative lilacs in autumn or early spring. It is worth digging up shoots at the same time of year. If lilacs are purchased with a closed root system, they can be planted at any time. To grow shrubs, the following conditions must be created:
- Light. Lilac loves good lighting. Lack of light negatively affects the appearance of the plant. It will look sickly and bloom poorly.
- Temperature. The shrub is frost-resistant, but does not tolerate drafts. It must be planted on a sunny, but not windy side. Otherwise, the lilac shoot may die.
- Distance. The distance between the bushes should be at least 2 m. If there is not enough space for such planting, lilacs can be planted only for the construction of a hedge.
- Transfer. It is usually carried out at the end of the summer season before the arrival of the first frosts. This is the best option for transferring seedlings from a greenhouse to a permanent growing area. In spring, the plant can also be replanted, but you need to do it before the buds wake up. You cannot replant a shrub when it is blooming. If you do this, 60% of the bushes will die, and 40% will not bloom for several years in a row, even with good care.
- Trimming. After the brushes of the bush have faded, they are pruned. This is done in connection with the appearance of flower buds on summer shoots. An old bush will grow new branches if one sprout is pruned in the spring.
- Nutrition. For productive growth and good flowering, you need to moderately moisten the soil. When the plant blooms, watering needs to be doubled, since at this time it consumes more nutrients. To form a good leaf apparatus, lilacs should be fertilized in the spring, as well as in the first half of summer, using a complex of minerals.
Lilac does not require special care. It is enough to follow simple rules for growing this shrub. If you create comfortable conditions for the plant, it will more than once please the gardener with good growth and abundant flowering.
How to grow lilacs on a windowsill
On cold winter evenings I really want to have a piece of spring at home. Lilac just symbolizes her arrival. If you wish, you can get a blooming sprig of lilac for the New Year holiday, but you will have to try for this.
To do this, in September-October, lilac shoots about 80 cm long are cut and packed in polyethylene, placed in the refrigerator, and kept in the refrigerator for 4-5 weeks.
Important! The temperature should be -2-5 degrees.
After this, the shoots are dipped in a container with cold water for 10-12 hours. All that remains is to place the shoots in a container with clean water in an upright position. Maintain the optimal temperature in the room:
- 1 week – 25 degrees;
- Week 2 – 20 degrees;
- subsequent weeks – 18-20 degrees.
Growing at home
If all conditions are met, you can get blooming lilacs on the windowsill in 3-4 weeks.
Propagation by cuttings
The easiest way to propagate lilacs is by cuttings.
Important! It is necessary to take cuttings from young crops, no older than 5 years.
How to propagate lilacs from cuttings at home? Reproduction by cuttings occurs in two ways:
- Woody cuttings in autumn;
- Green twigs in spring.
It can also reproduce by seeds.
When propagated by woody cuttings, planting material is prepared in late autumn - early winter. To do this, choose branches with a length of 15 cm.
Important! There must be at least 4 buds on the branches.
The cut cuttings are buried in the snow or put into the cellar, having previously placed them in wet sand. In spring, branches are planted for rooting.
Growing planting material
Since lilac takes root rather poorly, more planting material should be planted. In spring, the branches are soaked for half a day in a root formation stimulator.
Minigreenhouse
Planted in prepared beds. The row spacing should be 10 cm. The top of the bed is covered with film.
Planting lilacs in a pot
If it is not possible to prepare a mini-greenhouse for cuttings, they can be transplanted into indoor pots using a similar scheme. Small boxes are best suited for these purposes. The distance between rows is at least 10 cm. In such containers, cuttings can grow until roots form, after which they should be transplanted to a permanent place.
Pruning lilac seedlings
How to plant lilacs? After about 30-60 days, roots will form. Then the cuttings are planted in a permanent place where the seedlings will grow. Crown formation begins after 3 years. Pruning is carried out in early spring. At the same time, the root shoots are removed, leaving only 6-8 beautifully arranged branches.
Transfer rules
The lilac bush must be replanted 2-3 years after planting. This requirement is associated with the rapid consumption of nutritional ingredients by ornamental shrubs. Systematic and complex fertilizing does not save the situation. Therefore, after a couple of years, the plant does not bloom as magnificently and beautifully as before.
Shrubs 3 years old and older are replanted in August. Transplantation of young crops is carried out after the end of the flowering period and at the end of spring.
Autumn transplanting is dangerous because the crop may not have time to take root before the first frost. For planting, holes are prepared, and the plant is carefully inspected, removing damaged and dried branches. The transplant scheme looks like this:
- they dig around the bush and carefully take it out with a lump of earth;
- the plant is moved to oilcloth material or dense fabric, carefully transferred to a new place;
- the new recess should accommodate the root system of the shrub, a ball of earth and a large volume of nutritious soil.
Care
Lilac care is minimal, so if the seedling has taken root, it will grow without problems in the future. All care involves watering, loosening and fertilizing.
Lilac Garden
Watering mode
When summer comes, the lilac bush is watered when the soil dries out. One plant uses 2-3 buckets of water. During the summer, weeds are removed and the soil is loosened. From August, watering is reduced and watered only in case of prolonged drought.
Top dressing
The young seedling is fed only with nitrogen fertilizers in small quantities. In the second year, 55 g of urea and 70 g of ammonium nitrate are added. Additionally, organic fertilizers are applied, and 10 to 30 liters of mullein infusion are poured under the bush.
During the flowering period
No special care is required during the flowering period. It is enough to water if there is no rain. With sufficient humidity, you just need to enjoy the beautiful view.
Lilac is very easy to care for, so if you manage to root it, you can expect that, after a few years, your garden will be surrounded by beautiful and fragrant shrubs. Choosing a variety of the desired color and aroma is quite simple, because the variety range is quite wide. Lilac, like hydrangea, can become a real decoration of the garden.
Features of planting shrubs in the garden
Lilacs, planting and caring for which are complex activities, take root well in unprotected soil if planted from mid-July to early September. Trees and shrubs planted in autumn or spring do not take root well. The plant is planted in humus-rich and moist soil in a sunny area. Recommended soil acidity: 5-7 pH.
The roots of young seedlings must be checked. They should be branching and well developed. Sick, damaged and drying roots are cut off before planting the crop. Healthy roots are shortened to 0.3 m. Long shoots are shortened and damaged ones are completely removed.
Below are the basic rules for planting lilacs.
- Leave a free space of 2-3 m between neighboring seedlings.
- The hole for the bush should have steep walls. Its recommended dimensions in fertile soil are: 0.5*0.5*0.5 m. The hole in depleted soils is made 2 times larger in size. A nutritious soil composition is added to the hole, including 200-300 g of wood ash, 15-20 kg of compost or humus, 20-30 g of superphosphates. The volume of wood ash is doubled to correct too acidic soil.
- A drainage layer of broken brick or expanded clay is created at the bottom of the hole. A mound of nutritious earth mixture is poured on top.
- A seedling is placed on top of the mound in the central part of the hole and the roots are carefully straightened.
- The hole is completely filled with soil mixture so that the root collar rises 3-4 cm above ground level.
- Ornamental shrubs are watered abundantly.
- When the water is completely absorbed, the tree trunk circle of the bush is covered with a layer of peat mulch or humus. Its optimal thickness: 5-7 cm.
