Syringa vulgaris 'Nadezhda' HOPE common lilac
Symbivit Tric (arbuscular)
Symbivit (arbuscular)Syringa
Lilacs, although not native to Czechia, belong among our most common shrubs. In literature and art, they are associated with May as a month of love, e.g., in The Barrel-Organ poem by Alfred Noyes (1903). They are profusely flowering deciduous shrubs or small trees whose undemanding cultivation helped them become a household name in many temperate gardens around the world. And sometimes they escape those to live happily in the wild, out of maintained areas. Lilac is from the olive family which consists of about 615, often vastly heterogeneous species. Apart from its ornamental purpose, it was used in natural healing and is used in modern pharmacy still today. Its sturdy but flexible wood is used in furniture making for small elements, and above all it was believed that lilac drives away evil spirits, which is why it was so often planted very close to homes and main doors.
Common lilac comes from S.E. Europe and Asia Minor and the very first plant that appeared in Europe has an interesting history. In 1566, it was brought from Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire (today's Istanbul in Turkey) to the royal court in Wien (Vienna, Austria) by the Ottoman imperial ambassador Ogier Ghislain de Busbecq to the king and emperor Maximilian II Habsburg as a gift during diplomatic negotiations, while the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I tried to capture the fortress of Szigetvár, which was in the way of his troops advancing on Vienna. Lilac survived, Sultan did not.
Nadezhda is a Russian variety of lilac commonly sold under trade name HOPE in English speaking countries. It produces smaller, up to 20 cm long panicles composed of pale violet double flowers which open from dark rosy purple buds and release an intensely sweet perfume. Blooming begins in the first half of May and lasts for 2-3 weeks. Pruning is not needed but can be done immediately after flowering. Deadheading is recommended for young plants. Deciduous leaves are heart-shaped, medium green. Nadezhda is smaller than most other common lilacs, growing to about 2.5 meters in height and width.
Last update 20-04-2023
Lilacs are easy to grow. They will take almost any soil but will thrive in deep, fertile, well-drained soil that is neutral or slightly alkaline. They respond well to hard pruning. Adult plants often make suckers forming an even denser, multistemmed shrub. Any unwanted overgrowth can be controlled by using a breathable plastic mulching fabric above its roots. Though considered heat-loving plants they are very hardy to about -37 °C (USDA zone 3).
