It got me thinking about lilac history, the pruning techniques required to ensure growth of strong blossoms, and those particular French lilac varieties that are my favorites.

including the common lilac, S. vulgaris, from which the majority of the 1,600-plus known cultivars get part of their genetics. (Side note: What are called “French lilacs” aren’t native to ...

The 100 lilacs were sent to Daisy Brewster from her uncle, Cornel William Plum, owner of the largest French lilac collections in the world at the time. The genetic pool of these plants are ...