Lilacs: Spring's Favorite Perfume

Popular lilacs

We're most familiar with the common lilac, Syringa vulgaris, which grows 8 to 20 feet tall. But the genus Syringa embraces 22 other species, including Syringa reticulata, the Japanese tree lilac, which grows to 30 feet, and S. meyeri 'Palibin', a dwarf Chinese shrub reaching 4 to 5 feet. Pictured: Syringa vulgaris 'Andenken an Ludwig Spaeth', a purple lilac dating from 1883 that's still a popular choice.