Extension Spotlight

Lilacs evoke the sweet smell of spring. These shrubs were brought to this country in the 17-century called Blew (blue) Pipeflower, for its hollow stems and grown in English gardens according to https://www.thetreecenter.com/the-story-of-lilacs/. In 1750 lilacs were the first shipments of plants sent to America to satisfy the memory of new settlers in their homes.

In 1852 a Frenchman called Victor Lemoine started breeding lilacs and flower petals went from four to eight petals in a dense cluster. This shrub was named “Azurea Plena” with a bluish-mauve color. He further crossed “Azurea Plena” wi...