Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Beautiful and Aromatic Lilacs Flower

The lilacs bloomed early this year. It must have been that warm spell in mid-April. The 80-degree temperatures jump-started the lilacs and caused them to produce huge clusters of flowers before the end of the month. Lilacs can’t in bloom during April, but they made an early appearance this spring and remained in their glory through Mother’s Day.

Aside from Roses, there is no flower as beautiful and aromatic as Lilacs. Of the two, Lilacs have a stronger scent that carries quite a distance. Lilacs are beautiful flowers that most commonly are found in a lovely shade of purple, but can also be found in white and pale pink. They are produced in spring. When dried, lilacs can be a beautiful touch to a floral arrangement.

The Syringa (the Lilac's botanical name) is a hardy deciduous needing sun and well-drained, preferably alkaline soil. They are easy to grow and easily thrive. Remove flower heads from newly planted lilacs and deadhead them for the first few years. The plants are upright when young, spreading into a bushy shrub. Plan your lilac bushes for edging, privacy, and fragrance.

Lilac leaves are heart shaped and green with flowers that can be white, pink or deep purple. Their time of blooming is said to indicate an early or late spring.

Lilac Trivia
Purple lilacs symbolize first love, while white lilacs are said to represent youthful innocence. The Lilac is also the flower of wedding anniversary number eight. The Lilac is related to a class of anti-diabetic drugs, lilacs attracting bees were related to a patient's complicated diagnosis.

Lilac Superstition
There is some superstition surrounding the lilac. The idea that lilacs bring bad luck may have originated in the belief that fairies were once associated with the lilac tree, and if brought inside, fairies could disrupt the household.