Lilac

Lilacs are known as one of the most memorable flowers. With their vibrant colors and sweet smell they are the flower to get. Many may grow to be tremendous sizes. These flowers can come in a variety of colors that match your taste and personality. There are 20 different species of these flowering plants. They range in sizes from 2-10 meters big, and come in all types of bushes and shrubs. The leaves on this flower are simple and have a heart shape to them. These beautiful flowers are not only pleasing to our eyes, but are also pleasing to insect's appetite. Things such as larvae, Copper Underwing, Scalloped Oak and Svensson's Copper Underwing love to eat off of this plant.

Anatomy


There are so many different types of lilacs. On this site it list's all the different types of lilacs from A-D. They grow very well in sunny areas with good air circulation. Even though this plant prefers sunny climates, it can withstand weather up to -40 degrees F. It is best however to avoid this type of weather because it may kill your lilac buds. Lilac's today are divided into seven standard color groups:white, violet, blue, lavender, pink, magenta and purple. These flower's show their intense colors when a cool damp spring comes. However dont be too disappointed when the bud of your plant is not the color you wanted, for the color of the bud is a different color then the open flower itself. It is often called the "unfolding of the color", this is what makes lilacs such an enjoyable flower. From the start of the coloring of the bud, to the fading color of the open flower, it takes approximately 16-20 days for it's blooming period. When put with a variety of different species, lilacs may stay in bloom for an estimate of six weeks.

Reproduction
Lilac flowers tend to grow everywhere. When put in places such as parks they can grow anywhere, and in large amounts. They reproduce and grow more flowers when unpruned. But when they are pruned the flower responds by producing more vegetation growth, in attempt to restore all the branches that were lost, but with no flowers. A pruned lilac tends to not produce flowers from one to five years because the newly grown branches have not matured yet. For those who are left unpruned, they will produce an abundance of flowers on a regular basis. As for those who are required pruning, it is best to prune when all the flowering is done. Therefore the flowering will not be in short supply come the next year. []

Ecology
There are many different types of lilacs. Many are bushes, shrubs, and even trees. Here are a few of the major types of lilacs known:
 * Declaration- is a Fragrant,dark-reddish-purple flowers, nearly foot-long flower clusters and open. It can grow up to 8.5 feet high, and 6.5 feet wide.
 * Old Glory-is a Fragrant, bluish-purple flowers, disease-tolerant lilac. It grows 11.5 feet high and a little over 13 feet wide.
 * Purple haze-A chinese lilac. It has single reddish purple flowers. The purple is like a haze as identifies it's name.
 * Thumbelina-Sweet smelling dwarf lilac. Multitudes of medium pink buds open to light pink
 * Colby's wishing star-Pinkish lilac color. It is a dwarf reaching 3.5 to 4 feet in height. It is very fragrant and has recurrent bloom in the season. The shrub is very compact and dense and naturally has a rounded shape. Bright pink fall foliage.

Species

 * Syringa afghanica
 * Syringa emodi - Himalayan Lilac
 * Syringa josikaea
 * Syringa komarowii (syn. S. reflexa)
 * Syringa laciniata - Cut-leaf Lilac
 * Syringa mairei
 * Syringa meyeri
 * Syringa oblata
 * Syringa persica L. Persian Lilac
 * Syringa pinetorum
 * Syringa pinnatifolia
 * Syringa protolaciniata
 * Syringa pubescens (syn. S. julianae, S. patula)
 * Syringa reticulata (syn. S. pekinensis) - Japanese Tree Lilac
 * Syringa spontanea
 * Syringa sweginzowii
 * Syringa tibetica
 * Syringa tomentella
 * Syringa villosa
 * Syringa vulgaris - Common Lilac
 * Syringa wardii
 * Syringa wolfii
 * Syringa yunnanensis - Yunnan Lilac[]

Related References

 * Wikipedia
 * International Lilac Site