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Complimentary 
NEW SERIES VOL. IX NO. 6 
ARNOLD ARBORETUM 
BULLETIN 
OF 
POPULAR INFORMATION 
JAMAICA PLAIN, MASS. MAY 24, 1923 
Hybrid Lilacs. In the last issue of these Bulletins an account was 
given of Syringa chinensis, the first hybrid Lilac of which there is a 
record. The next hybrid of which there is a history, Syringa hyacinth- 
ijlora, was made by Lemoine of Nancy in 1859 by crossing S', oblata with 
S. vulgaris coerulea plena the first of the double-flowering forms of the 
common Syringa vulgaris. S. oblata, the first of the Chinese Lilacs 
with the exception of Syringa persica to reach Europe from China 
was found probably in a Shanghai garden by Fortune and sent by him to 
England in 1852; from England it reached the United States as early as 
1869 and perhaps earlier. It is a large, round-topped shrub, with broad, 
heart-shaped leaves which unlike those of other Lilacs are thick and 
coriaceous and in the autumn turn scarlet. It is one of the first Lilacs 
to bloom in the spring here and the large violet-colored flowers in com¬ 
paratively small clusters are extremely fragrant. In severe winters 
the flower-buds are sometimes injured. It is interesting that this hand¬ 
some plant has not yet been found growing wild; and there is no rec¬ 
ord here that it has been seen by anyone in China since Fortune’s time. 
The first flowers of the hybrid Syringa hyacinthijlora opened this year 
on May 2 and were still in good condition on May 20th. It is a large, 
round-topped shrub of excellent habit, with leaves resembling in shape 
those of S. oblata but not thicker than those of the common Lilac, and 
small clusters of small semi-double, extremely fragrant flowers. Inter¬ 
esting from its origin S', hyacinthijlora is the least valuable of the 
hybrid Lilacs as a garden plant. The fact, however, is interesting that 
it is usually the first Lilac to flower in the Arboretum collection. 
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