Every spring, the lilac bush on the corner of our patio blooms with beautiful, large clusters of pink flowers. The scent of these blooms fill the backyard with a luscious perfume. The bee colony that lives in a hollow in our Sycamore tree awakens from its winter sleep to these wonderful flowers full of nectar.
Syringa vulgaris is scientific name for this shrub. It is not native to the US and has been carried to all parts of the earth by man, for obvious reasons. The common lilac is thought to have originated in the highlands of the Balkan countries of Europe. Our Lilac bush is nearly 10 feet tall and we expect it to top out around 15 feet.
The Common Lilac belongs to the Oleaceae family which contains Olive and Ash trees, and the beautiful Jasmine vines. The Order Lamiales contains the Oleaceae and twenty other families making the Lilac distantly related to other valuable plants we use like Rosemary, Mint, and Basil and the teak tree.
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