Lilac

lat. Syringa vulgaris (Oleaceae)

Group: Flowers

     The evening mist hangs low,
     And through the cross-beams of the bridge
     The slanting sunbeams show.
    Hokushi

The Greek legend tells us about the young Pan – God of forests and fields. Once upon a time he met charming beautiful graceful nymph Syringa who was talking to the dawn. He couldn’t take his eyes off Syringa. As he run after her and tried to talk to her, she got scared and run away. When Pan wanted to calm her down she suddenly turned into hollow water reeds with the help of Artemis. Pan cut several reeds and made the first pan pipe.

Name Syringa came from Greek “syrinks” meaning “pipe”. Shepherds made flutes of lilac wood. Whoever heard the music from flute made of lilac will never forget the melody.

The fragrance of the lilac tree was considered in Celtic culture “magickal”. The fragrance is believed to carry humans into fairyland and the supernal world.

Sunlight pours in as waves
gently caressing my face
the symphony of cars on gravel
birds serenading from their
branches
a cool breeze through the trees
fills my cluttered mind
I throw back the covers
and step towards the open window
and smell lilac;

sweet and innocent
drifting in to greet me
this morning
is beautiful
a taste of something new
of something life-changing
so I’ll walk outside
and cut a bit of lilac
of beauty
to hold throughout the day
so I’ll remember
today is an open window

By young poet Oceanreverie

In a lot of cultures lilacs symbolize love. In Greece, Lebanon and Cyprus lilac is strongly associated with Easter time because it flowers around that time.

Lilac is part of olive family and came from the Balkan Peninsula, from Anatolia, and some part of Asia. It was brought to Vienna 400 years ago and became very popular in Europe and oversea. It grows well on the south and on the north, doesn’t require too much maintenance. There are different types of lilac (besides common one): Himalayan, Japanese, Hungarian, Persian, Amur…

Lilacs are popular shrubs in parks and gardens throughout the temperate zone. In addition to the existing species several hybrids and numerous cultivars have been developed. There are more then 600 varieties of lilac bred from wild forms.

Lilacs flower on old wood, and produce more flowers if unpruned. If pruned, the plant responds by producing fast-growing young vegetative growth with no flowers, in an attempt to restore the removed branches; a pruned lilac often produces fewer or no flowers for up to five or more years, before the new growth matures sufficiently to start flowering. Unpruned lilacs flower reliably every year. Despite this, a common fallacy holds that lilacs should be pruned regularly. If pruning is required, it should be done right after flowering is finished, before next year's flower buds are formed.

People appreciate beauty of lilac – they organize lilac societies, lilac gardens, lilac festivals. Despite the short blooming season lilac is loved and adored everywhere for unpretentiousness, wonderful fragrance, lovely colors and purity… Plant lilac in your garden! Its flowers can be eaten and used as a tonic for the nervous system. In herbal therapy it is known to help those refusing help from others. It brings in laughter, eases painful memories and restores joy.

Composer James Shelton brought permanently Lilac into the pop-music culture with his song “Lilac Wine” sang by Nina Simone, Jeff Buckley, and many others. Here the lyrics:

I lost myself on a cool damp night

I Gave myself in that misty light

Was hypnotized by a strange delight

Under a lilac tree

I made wine from the lilac tree

Put my heart in its recipe

It makes me see what I want to see

and be what I want to be

When I think more than I want to think

I do things I never should do

I drink much more than I ought to drink

Because it brings me back you…

Lilac wine is sweet and heady, like my love

Lilac wine, I feel unsteady, like my love…