Re: OT - reblooming lilac

Hi,

I sent this off list to Showtime Christian off list, but it looks like
others are interested, so here it is for everyone.

-----------------------------------

I don't think reblooming is normal for any lilac.  I think they do it
sometimes here because they stress out in the dry summer heat, set their
winter buds in late spring, and then when things cool off again in autumn,
they wake up and start growing again as if it is spring.  Sometimes those
buds produce flowers.  Usually they just wait and flower in the spring like
they're supposed to.

The ones I mentioned are both hybrids of Asian species, often called
"Preston Lilacs".  [Personally I think they are all one species, so they
aren't really hybrids at all; just my opinion].  The two I mentioned are S.
x prestonii (= S. reflexa x S. villosa).  The light purple (buds are
darker) is 'Royalty' and I think the white one is 'Agnes Smith'.  There are
a bunch of neat "species" and hybrids in this group.  The species that are
available include S. josikaea, S. reflexa, S. sweginzowii, S. villosa, S.
wolfii, and probably others.  They all look the same, but some have
inflorescences that hang down and on others they stand up more.  All are
spectacular (in my mind anyway).  They flower a bit late for lilacs, so are
less likely to get nailed by a late frost.  I'm not sure, but I think S.
josikaea is the oldest species name for the group, and I'd be inclined to
put them all under this name, even though they range from se. Europe right
across Asia.  Compared to "Common" or "French" lilacs, the leaves are less
shiny, a bit thinner and plicate, longer and a bit narrower, and I think
darker in color.  The flowers are smaller, but the inflorescences are
bigger.  They have a different look, but they still look like Lilacs.  They
smell slightly different, but are still heavenly.

One other thing about this sort of Lilac.  I found out by accident.  I
bought a couple of cheapy plants at a nursery about a month ago; they were
fairly beat up (stems partly broken, etc.).  Most of the broken stems were
dead, but one was healed and growing but very weakly attached.  I snapped
it off, and for no particular reason stuck it in a glass of water sitting
on the kitchen counter.  I noticed it again last week, and the leaves had
fallen off, but there were 2 inch roots!  Lilacs ain't supposed to do that!
No rooting hormones, just water.  Maybe this whole group is that easy????
They say you have to take green cuttings, treat them with hormones, put
them in a rooting medium, and baby the heck out of them.  This was just a
mature woody twig stuck in water.

Seems like I've seen the occasional fall flower on Cut-leaf Lilac too, but
not this year.  It is Syringa laciniata.  Another nice shrub that smells
wonderful when in flower.  It's offspring Persian Lilac S. x persica made a
few fall flowers in our back yard last year, but far from a show.

The best source for lilacs I know is Select Plus Nursery in Canada
<http://www.spi.8m.com/>.   I've never seen a better selection of Lilacs.
Plants are generally a bit small, but always healthy.  I'm sure there are
many more sources though.

If you don't know it already, a good book ("the book") is 'Lilacs the genus
Syringa', Fr. John L. Fiala, 1988, Timber Press.  I think it is back in
print for a reasonable price right now.

Dave

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