Lilac

SyringavulgarisL.

In Ancient Greece, a legend was born that tells that young Pan once met a river nymph, the messenger of the morning dawn, Syringa. She was so beautiful that Pan could not stop looking at her. He decided to speak to Syringa, but the gentle nymph, seeing the goat-footed god of forests and meadows, got scared and ran. Pan rushed after her, wanting to calm her down. Syringa prayed to the Gods and turned into a magnificent bush with luxurious purple inflorescences. Pan cried for a long time near the bush, clutching the fragrant lilac, named after the nymph Syringa, to his chest.

In Greece, a syrinx, a tubular pipe, was cut from lilac branches, the sound of which was extraordinary, as if the sweet-voiced Syringa herself was singing.

In Rus', this plant was called “chenille”, since the most common shade of inflorescences is blue.

The homeland of this ornamental shrub, widespread throughout the world, is not precisely known. It is believed that lilac originally grew on the Balkan Peninsula or in Asia Minor. Residents of Europe saw elegant flowers only in the 16th century. Since then, lilac has received special attention from breeders and flower growers. There are about 25 species of wild lilac and more than 1000 varieties of its cultivated forms.

In different parts of the world, specialized gardens are created in which only lilacs grow - syringaria. The International Society of Lilac Growers works successfully, the best of which were awarded the personalized medal “Golden Branch of Lilac”.

Lilac flowers contain a small amount of essential oil. From 1 hectare of plantations, up to 70 centners of inflorescences are collected, that is, about 70 million flowers, to obtain a little more than 2 liters of lilac oil, which, unfortunately, does not have the aroma characteristic of lilacs. Today they are trying to develop new varieties to produce aromatic oil with the scent of lilac, but so far without success.

Lilac oil is used extremely rarely in aromatherapy, and it is very difficult to obtain.

Medicinal properties

1. In folk medicine it is used for cough, whooping cough, shortness of breath, pulmonary tuberculosis, as well as malaria, dyspepsia, epilepsy, leucorrhoea, kidney stones, rheumatism, and salt deposits.
2. Strengthens the nervous system. Has an anti-stress, relaxing effect.

Contraindications. Individual intolerance.

Note. Use only as prescribed by a doctor.