Lilacs in Latvia

A brief history of lilac cultivation and breeding in Latvia.

Lilac is one of those rare ornamental shrubs that enchants with its intoxicating fragrance in May, and has become an integral part of Latvian households and the blooming landscape of urban areas. However, it is surprising that this magnificent shrub is a newcomer to our gardens and its cultivation history in Latvia is about 200 years old. Known as pliederi in Kurzeme, beseņu and besakūku in Latgale, having changed gender from cilīne to lisinė, the common lilac Syringa vulgaris, together with some descendants, has become a self-evident and integral ornamental shrub in our gardens.

Lilacs have been grown in Latvia since the second half of the 19th century. As early as 1870, varietal lilacs could be purchased at the Schoh Horticulture in Salaspils, but at the beginning of the 20th century, several of the most beautiful lilac varieties created by the French breeders Lemoine family in the nursery were also available. At the end of the 19th century, the most popular varieties were 'Andenken an Ludwig Späth' and 'Fürst Bülow', which were created in the Späth family nursery in Germany. Moreover, the 'Andenken an Ludwig Späth' variety has not lost its importance even today, when a rich range of lilac varieties can be found.

Dobele is one of the first places in Latvia where the cultivation of lilac varieties began. In the second half of the 19th century, the prominent pastor and ethnographer August Bīlenšteins created a park in a German rectory, which was notable for many rare plant species, including lilacs. One of the varieties from his collection, which also grows in the lilac collection of the Horticultural Institute, is 'President Grevy'.

The largest and richest lilac collections in Latvia are located here, at the Institute of Horticulture, as well as at the Latvian National Botanical Garden in Salaspils and the Kalsnava Arboretum.

The founder of the Lilac Garden collection of the Horticultural Institute is the prominent gardener and breeder Pēteris Upītis (1896–1976). The Lilac Garden collection of the Institute has been created on the basis of lilac varieties and hybrids selected by Pēteris Upītis, supplemented with varieties created in other countries. The aim of the collection is to preserve and maintain the fruits of Pēteris Upītis' work, to introduce visitors to the diversity of lilacs and the achievements of breeders. Since its creation, the lilac plantation has become a popular sightseeing attraction in Dobele, attracting a wide range of visitors.

The total area of the Lilac Garden is 4.5 hectares, where you can see the largest collection of lilacs in the Baltics – around 240 different lilac varieties and hybrids. The largest part of the collection is made up of the work of Pēteris Upītis, supplemented by varieties of Laimonis Kārkliņš and foreign breeders.