Summer Declaration

With rising fuel costs, hybrid technology is becoming the latest rage. But don't waste your time telling the U.S. National Arboretum. They have generated their own hybrids – over 650 hybrid plants, shrubs and trees. And they recently added two more crossbreeds to the list: the 'Declaration' and 'Old Glory' lilacs.

This reddish purple 'Declaration' lilac, pictured above, is suited for states from Virginia to New Jersey. It can grow over eight feet tall and seven feet wide.

But the bluish-purple 'Old Glory' lilac can also handle the cooler New England and Great Lake temperatures while still offering an enhanced tolerance to diseases common in warmer climates. This taller and more rounded lilac can grow over 11 feet tall and 13 feet wide.

Both plants can be used as specimen plants, hedges or in mass plantings. They reach maturity in 25 years and are hybrids of Don Egolf's 'Sweet Charity' and 'Pocahontas' lilacs. The same lilac hybridization program that produced these two lilacs also released the cream-colored 'Betsy Ross' lilac in 2000.

Together, these three hybrid lilacs are part of a "U.S. Flag" series of lilacs provided by the National Arboretum.

In the 1970s, the National Arboretum began breeding lilacs that would be more conducive in warmer climates, could tolerate mildew, and offered an attractive sight and scent.

Wholesale growers are currently propagating 'Declaration' and 'Old Glory' lilacs, having been tested in various states such as Alabama, Minnesota, and Massachusetts. They should be available for retail later this year.

More than two million lilacs are sold annually in the U.S., accounting for over $13 million in sales.

-- Greg Soltis

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Image Credit: The United States National Arboretum