Few people know that the most beautiful lilac variety is called the Beauty of Moscow (Kolesnikov selection).
This lilac decorates the territory of the Moscow Kremlin. It grows both in Buckingham Palace and in the square near the US Congress (Washington). You can meet her in many parks of the world, and in botanical gardens. But only in the Lilac Garden of Moscow, the same lilac that was planted by the creator of this wonderful variety of lilac has been preserved. It is with this man that not only the creation of the most wonderful varieties is connected, he did a lot in his time to turn the streets of Russian cities into beautiful lilac alleys. The Soviet breeder L. A. Kolesnikov created hundreds of the best varieties of lilacs. It should be noted that he was self-taught.
There are a huge variety of varieties of this plant. Here we will talk about some of them.
Quick reference
The genus Lilac of the Olive family includes about 30 species growing in Iran and Asia (northeast). They are shrubsdeciduous, rarely evergreen, with simple leaves and numerous flowers of a wide variety of shades, collected in panicle inflorescences. The peculiarity of the plant is the wonderful aroma of flowers. Fruits in the form of boxes ripen in autumn, in September-October.
Today, more than 2000 varieties have been created, which differ in the size of both bushes and flowers, as well as the color of the inflorescences and the degree of their doubleness.
The article presents photos and characteristics of the most popular varieties of lilacs.
A bit of history
After the French gardener Victor Lemoine developed the first variety of this plant in the 1880s, which marked the beginning of its selection and became the standard, more than 2000 varieties were created, as noted above, among which there are a large number of forms of L. A. Kolesnikova.
The best varieties, according to references on the Internet, are about 80. The most popular types and varieties of lilacs (photo in the article) are distinguished by magnificent shades and shapes of flowers, as well as the size and shape of bushes.
Moscow Lilac Garden
In the east of the city of Moscow (near the Cherkizovskaya metro station) there is a wonderful lilac garden, fragrant during the flowering period. On the basis of the lilac nursery, he was laid with his own hands by the aforementioned famous breeder Leonid Alekseevich Kolesnikov back in 1954. Speaking of his merits, it should be noted that in 1952 he received the Stalin Prize for his work. In 1974, he was posthumously awarded the Golden Branch medal by the International Society of Lilac Breeders.lilacs. In addition, the varieties he bred were included in the international registry.
The article presents some of the most beautiful types and varieties of lilacs: photos with descriptions, features, etc.
A little about the features of lilac
- Practically all varieties of plants exude a pleasant delicate aroma, which many associate with the approach of summer.
- The best place for lilacs is open, sunny. The plant is quite unpretentious in almost everything. It tolerates dry and hot climates well, as well as urban conditions. Prefers neutral to slightly acidic fertile but not too dry soils.
- Pruning the bush lightly in early spring stimulates abundant flowering, and pinching the side shoots allows you to get a compact crown.
- The most original varieties of lilacs are used in landscape design. They are good both in single plantings and in groups. They are also used to create magnificent living walls and hedges. In this case, the distance between plants should be at least 70-80 cm. Often, the lower part of the shrub is exposed for decoration with herbaceous perennials or undersized shrubs.
- In bouquets, lilac stands better and longer when cutting branches in the early morning. In this case, the ends of the shoots should also be split.
- Lilacs are propagated by dividing bushes, layering, green cuttings (a rooting stimulator should be used), grafting and stratified seeds.
Lilac growing in the garden provides a wonderful atmosphere of freshness and fragrance. However, to enhance the effect, it is better to combineseveral varieties of plants with different shades of flowers and with varying degrees of doubleness.
Below are the best types and varieties of lilac (photo with description).
Species and hybrids
- Amur lilac - a tree or shrub from 4 to 5 meters high (there are also 10 meters). Fragrant flowers, located in paniculate dense inflorescences, have a white color with a greenish or cream tint. They bloom a little later (May-June) than many other lilacs, but grow quickly. Native places in the wild: Korea, China (Northeast), Far East.
- Hungarian lilac is a dense shrub with a height of 3 to 7 meters. Lilac-pink flowers are very fragrant, bloom in May-June. It grows quickly and does not give offspring. In the wild, it grows in the Carpathians and Transylvania. Decorative shapes available.
- Chinese lilac is a hybrid of Persian and common lilacs. The height of the shrub is 5-6 meters. The shoots are thin, hanging down beautifully. Lilac-purple flowers are very fragrant. The plant blooms in May-June.
- Common lilac is an extremely hardy luxurious shrub about 4 meters high (there are also up to 7 m). It grows well in Europe (south and north). In addition to the main form, which has purple flowers, there are varieties of white lilac and pink in the culture. Flowers bloom in May-June. In the wild, this species grows in the Balkans. Homeland: Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey (northwest). It has a large number of ornamental varieties, there are also hybrids.
- Lilac hairy or hairy - compact dense shrub about 4 meters high. Fragrant pink flowers with the smell of privet are collected in pubescent, dense panicles. Bloom time is May-June. Origin: North Korea, China. The species also has decorative forms.
- Persian lilac is a hybrid of finely cut lilac and Afghan lilac. The height of the shrub is 2.5-3 meters. Branches are arched, thin. Lilac-pink flowers have a smell not typical for lilacs. Blooms from May to June. It should be noted that in Russia (middle lane) the plant can freeze in severe frosts. This variety has a decorative form of Alba with white flowers.
The article below provides a description of the varieties of common lilac.
Variety Jeanne d'Arc
This variety has a strong aroma and luxurious flowering. Created in 1902 by Lemoine. Shrub of medium height (about 2.5 meters) has a wide pyramidal, sprawling shape. The buds are cream in color and the double white flowers, which are collected in round-shaped inflorescences (15 cm), have a pleasant strong aroma.
Lilac blooms profusely for 17 days.
Variety Marceau
This foreign variety of lilac with large flowers, also created by Lemoine, but in 1913, also belongs to the beautiful. The tall shrub has a spreading crown. Buds and flowers are painted indark purple color, but they fade to a purple hue. The aroma of flowers collected in loose, wide-pyramidal inflorescences (length 24 cm), medium.
Relatively moderate flowering time is about 15 weeks.
Variety Mme Lemoine
Created by Lemoine in 1894, a lilac with beautifully shaped flowers. They are white and have a strong aroma. Collected in inflorescences of a pyramidal shape. The hue of the buds is greenish-cream. The bush is erect, tall.
Profuse flowering lasts for 14 days.
Variety Mrs Edward Harding
Among the lilac varieties, this one stands out for its early flowering and beautiful flower shape. Created in 1922 by Lemoine. It is an upright shrub of medium height. The buds are purple, the double flowers are pinkish-purple. The latter are collected in pyramidal inflorescences and have a medium aroma.
The duration of flowering is approximately 16 days.
Variety Sensation
This foreign lilac variety has a unique flower color. It was created in 1938. It is a medium tall, upright shrub with reddish-purple buds and faintly fragrant purple flowers bordered with white. Inflorescences are pyramidal, dense.
Flowering is abundant with a duration of about 16 days.
Paul Hariot variety
The variety was created by Lemoine in 1902. It is a medium height spreading shrub. The buds are purple-violet, and the double flowers are purple with a silver back. They have a light fragrancecollected in narrow pyramidal inflorescences.
Early flowering, duration about 17 days.
Variety Sevastopol W altz
This is one of the most beautiful varieties of double lilac. Breeders Z. K. Klimenko, V. N. Klimenko and V. K. Zykova created it in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden in 2013. The form of a dense bush is broad-pyramidal. The buds have a reddish-purple hue. Non-double flowers are painted in a pink-purple hue and have a strong aroma. They are collected in a pyramidal panicle.
Duration of flowering - 15 days.
Variety Blue
The variety has a rather rare blue tint. Created in 1974 by L. I. Kolesnikov. The bush is upright, tall. The buds are lilac, the flowers are lilac-blue. The latter are collected in pyramidal inflorescences and have a medium aroma.
Flowering is abundant with a duration of about 17 days.
Variety Beauty of Moscow
Some names of lilac varieties are known to gardeners. For example, Beauty of Moscow, which is one of the most beautiful forms of the world's lilac assortment. It was created in 1947 by L. I. Kolesnikov. The shape of the bush is broad-pyramidal, high. The flowers are terry, painted in pinkish-white color, have a medium aroma. They are collected in openwork, wide-pyramidal inflorescences.
Duration of abundant flowering - about 2 weeks.
Variety Sky of Moscow
This is another variety of common lilac, bred by L. I. Kolesnikov (1963). Its flowers haverare blue color. Bushes of medium height are wide-pyramidal in shape. The buds are painted in a purple-lilac hue, double flowers become purple-blue. They are collected in dense, wide, pyramidal inflorescences.
Long flowering - 23 days. The variety has good resistance to powdery mildew.
Sort Lights of Donbass
Created by Soviet breeders (L. I. Rubtsov, N. A. Lyapunova, V. G. Zhogoleva) in 1956. The buds of this lilac variety (see photo below) have a dark purple hue, double flowers are purple-lilac with light purple tips. Clustered in narrow pyramidal buds with a strong fragrance.
Early and abundant flowering lasts approximately 20 days.
Variety Olimpiada Kolesnikova
The variety was created in 1941 by L. I. Kolesnikov. The bush is upright, tall. The flowers are double, purple-pink and very fragrant. They are collected in openwork pyramidal inflorescences. Flowering early with a duration of about 18 days.
The variety has good resistance to powdery mildew.
Varieties of pygmy lilac
Dwarf lilac is widely used in the design of various flower arrangements. The compact and neat bush looks great. Its delicate inflorescences last a little longer than on varieties of larger forms. Below are the most popular varieties among flower growers.
- Meyer is a compact beautiful shrub. Its height is 1.5 meters. The plant is unpretentious. The variety also has decorative forms: Meyer Polibin with lilac-pink flowers, Red Pixie blooming in May withpink inflorescences, fast growing Bloomerang Ash with purple flowers (blossom twice), remontant Jose. Meyer's flowers are fragrant, lilac-pink, blooming in May-June. Found by Meyer in China, and today it is known only in culture. On the territory of Russia (middle lane), this variety can freeze in cold winters.
- Madame Charles Suchet has one wonderful feature - the inflorescences of a wide pyramidal shape have a sky-blue hue. Flowering occurs in May-June. However, this variety also has not very pleasant features - the shrub is susceptible to pests and diseases.
- Monge is a hybrid early blooming French lilac with bright purple flowers. Feature - can grow up to 30 years.
- Captain B alte is a shrub growing up to 1.5 meters in height, with delicate purple or pink paniculate inflorescences that densely cover the crown.
Practically all presented varieties of lilacs are not demanding on growing conditions and care. They fit perfectly into a variety of landscaping styles.
Use
Many people know that in addition to being a magnificent decoration of gardens and parks, lilac is widely used in medicine, as well as in the manufacture of cosmetics and perfumes. Products prepared from lilacs can restore freshness and elasticity to the skin, as well as bring he alth.
In perfumery, despite the abundance of different varieties of lilacs, this ingredient is almost worth its weight in gold. This is related to the factthat for the production of only 1 kilogram of fragrant oil, it is necessary to process more than 40 million lilac inflorescences, moreover, collected from one hectare. It is easier to get the aroma of lilacs in an artificial way, and not by the traditional extraction method, which was used by ancient alchemists. Therefore, the creations of perfumers, where the most natural lilac aroma is present, are very expensive and are attributed to masterpieces.
It should be noted that for the production of perfumes, lilacs are grown only in the French city of Grasse. The fragrant oil produced in these places is sold to the most famous perfumers, who, in turn, create true works of art.
Conclusion
At present, like hundreds of years ago, this plant, due to its unpretentiousness in terms of conditions and care, as well as in connection with its decorative effect, is one of the most popular among beautifully flowering shrubs. Lilac has long been widely used in planting parks and gardens. It is highly valued for its beautiful appearance, long and abundant flowering, for a pleasant delicate aroma. The common lilac, which has a considerable number of varieties, is most often used in landscape design of gardens and parks. Other decorative types of lilacs are also very effective in landscaping.
