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Lilac Update 2008

5/8/08

Pansy Bed.

The pansy bed has been a fixture at Highland Botanical Park since circa 1902.   This year the pansy bed’s main design features 3 large stylized sunflowers, with a large dark central disk, and yellow rays radiating from the disk.  The entire bed is planted with approximately 15,000 pansies.

Aerial shot by Joe Bernal.

 

Frederick Law Olmsted

Syringa vulgaris ‘Frederick Law Olmsted’ is a hybrid created by former Superintendent of Horticulture Richard A. Fenicchia.  Although the single white florets are small, the entire top and sides of the shrubs are completely covered with a mass of flower clusters, making a very showy display.

 

 

President Grevy


Syringa vulgaris ‘President Grevy’ is one of Victor Lemoine’s first double lilacs that he developed.  Looking closely at the photo, you can see that each individual flower or floret is composed of 2 sets of 4 blue petals.  A single lilac has one set of 4 petals on each floret.

   

 

 

 

Rochester Lilac

Syringa vulgaris ‘Rochester’ was discovered as a seedling in the Highland Nursery in the 1950’s by former Director of Parks Alvan R. Grant and Superintendent of Horticulture Richard Fenicchia.  ‘Rochester’ was a seedling from a double white lilac ‘Edith Cavell’ in 1947, and was observed to be more dwarf than most of the other seedlings.  Later when it flowered, it was discovered that some of the florets had the unique trait of radial doubling, or florets of up to 25 petals, rather than the normal double with 2 sets of 4 petals.  This cultivar even more importantly became the parent of many outstanding hybrids developed by Richard Fenicchia, Father John Fiala, and other great hybridizers.

 

 

Flower City Lilac

Syringa vulgaris ‘Flower City’ is one of the outstanding hybrids developed by Richard Fenicchia that had ‘Rochester’ as one of the parents.  ‘Flower City’ is a violet-purple lilac with cupped florets that also display the showy silvery reverse side of the petals.  This may also display some radial doubling.

 

 

 

 

Primrose Lilac

Syringa vulgaris ‘Primrose’ is a very unusual lilac; being the only one that is yellowish in color.  It is most noticeable when first opening, when the buds and young flowers are a creamy yellowish.  Planted next to a pure white lilac, the color difference is readily seen.

 

 

 

 

My Favorite Lilac

Syringa vulgaris ‘My Favorite’ was developed by self-taught hybridizer Hulda Klager.  This cultivar has very attractive doubled, rounded purple florets, that when opening have been described as appearing like a cluster of purple grapes.

 

 

 

 

 

Sensation Lilac

Syringa vulgaris ‘Sensation’  is another unique development of Dutch hybridizer Maarse, who also named ‘Primrose’.  Both cultivars were discovered by Maarse in a greenhouse, where he was forcing lilacs to be used as cut flowers.  Growing lilacs in a greenhouse occasionally causes bud mutations, or chimeras, and these were then propagated by Maarse.  ‘Sensation’ is the only lilac to show this very unique bicolored floret; purple with a flashy white margin.

 

Monge Lilac

Syringa vulgaris ‘Monge’ is an old-fashioned lilac developed by the famous Lemoine Nursery that is still one of the most popular reddish-purple cultivars in the trade today.  The buds are dark-colored, and open into large clusters of magenta-purple florets of large size.  The shrub is usually 8-10’ high, with a somewhat open growth habit.

 

 

Martha Stewart Lilac


Syringa vulgaris ‘Martha Stewart’ was developed by Richard A. Fenicchia, and is one of the excellent progeny of ‘Rochester’, with its beautiful single bluish-pink flowers and buds.  The flower clusters or inflorescences are quite large, and the 2 small shrubs at Highland are covered with blooms.



 

 

 

 

Miss Ellen Willmott Lilac

Syringa vulgaris ‘Miss Ellen Willmott’ is one of the best examples of a fine double white lilac.  The individual florets often have 3 sets of 4 petals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saugeana Lilac

Syringa x chinensis ‘Saugeana’ is an excellent choice for landscaping with its vigorous, dense growth habit that forms a beautiful flowering screen or specimen plant.  The flowers are extremely fragrant and showy, completely covering the shrub.  Another plus is that the spent flowers form inconspicuous seed heads, so no deadheading of the old flowers is needed .


Sesquicentennial Lilac

Syringa vulgaris ‘Sesquicentennial’ is one of the most outstanding hybrids developed by Highland Botanical Park’s Richard Fenicchia.  An individual floret is often an inch in size, and the entire cluster droops over from the weight of the flowers.

  

 

 

 

 

Sesquicentennial Lilac

This closeup of ‘Sesquicentennial’ shows the size of one of the florets.  This particular floret displays radial doubling, like its parent ‘Rochester’, and is as large as a half dollar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text and photos submitted by Horticultural Aide Kent Millham

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