These root-sprouts may be dug up in fall and transferred to the garden or nursery where they will make satisfactory plants in a few years. This is the usual way of propagating the common line. They bloom a week or two earlier than most lilacs. Most of the well-known varieties are derived from the common lilac, Syringa vulgaris , which has been a favorite for centuries in Europe and America. It is still worthy of a place in the garden, even with the best of its progeny.
Modern varieties extend the color range, size, petalage, and growth characteristics.
There are many varieties, and many are quite similar. Choice is largely a matter of personal preference. Varieties offered in nursery catalogs are selections of the best. Double , Marechal Lannes. Double , President Fallieres, Leon Gambetta.