Lilacs Carry Whiff Of Hope, Survival

Finally, the sun has returned. It provides the best light in which to view lilac trees and bushes, now in full bloom throughout the Inland Northwest. Walk or drive by some lilacs this holiday and keep in mind that lilacs provide some lessons in survival.

Lilacs are adaptable. They traveled to America with settlers in the 1600s. In 1884, Clara Denman traveled from Minnesota to Spokane by train. In her trunk, she carried a small Persian lilac that became the “parent” lilac to all those grown here now.

Lilacs need adversity to bloom. They require frost during the winter to toughen up. The harsher the winter, the brighter the bloom.

As they age, lilacs can suffer. They become overgrown and do not produce as many blooms. Sort of a midlife crisis. The only cure? Severe pruning. This results in a couple of bloomless years, but then the blooms return - sometimes brighter than ever.

So enjoy the colors and the fragrance of the lilacs surrounding you. And enjoy the hope that lilacs provide us. We mere mortals can survive some hardships, too.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Rebecca Nappi/For the editorial board