A collection of lilac specimens representing a variety of ornamental traits and species.

The lilac (Syringa L.) genus belongs to the olive family (Oleacea Lind.). There are a total of 20 species of lilacs in the world, with natural habitats in eastern Asia; only the common (Syringa vulgaris L.) and Hungarian lilacs (Syringa josikaea J.Jacq. ex Rchb.) grow naturally in the Balkan-Carpathian region.

VU Botanical Garden aims to collect a variety of lilac species and the most ornamental lilac varieties suitable for growing in Lithuanian conditions.

Gardeners in Asia Minor were the first to notice the beauty of lilacs. In Europe, the common lilac was introduced to European gardens by Turkish gardeners. In 1563 they were brought from Constantinople to Vienna by an Austrian envoy. There is no precise information on when they arrived in Lithuania. It is likely that lilacs did not arrive in the gardens of the nobility of our country until the 17th century. The common lilac was so popular in our region that it eventually became an integral part of the landscape.

According to written sources, Vilnius University Botanical Garden started growing lilacs at the end of the 18th century. These were common lilac (Syringa vulgaris L.), followed by Persian lilac (Syringa persicla L.) in 1802 and Chinese lilac (Syringa x chinensis Willd) in 1824. The collection of lilacs in Kairėnai started in 1982 and was kept in the Dendrology Department. However, as the collection of lilacs grew, the plants were moved, and in 2008 a collection of lilacs (Syringa L.) was introduced to visitors, named Lilac Hill. Today, the Lilac Hill Collection and other areas of the Botanic Garden contain around 180 species, subspecies, varieties and cultivars of lilacs (Syringa L.). The first to flower are the sweetheart lilacs (Syringa x hyacinthiflora Rehder). The bulk of the collection is made up of varieties of the common lilac (Syringa vulgaris L.), which start bloom in mid-May and delight visitors for about two weeks with their blossom, the variety of flowers and inflorescences, and their pleasant aroma. This is followed two or three weeks later by the flowering of the other lilac species. These are the Canadian lilacs (Syringa x prestoniae McKelvey), the bellicent lilacs (Syringa x josiflexa I. Preston ex J. S. Pringle), the nodding lilacs (Syringa komarowii C. K. Schneid. ), downy lilac (Syringa pubescens Turcz.), late lilac (Syringa villosa Vahl) and Chengtu lilac (Syringa tomentella subsp. sweginzowii (Koehne & Lingelsh.) Jin Y.Chen & D.Y.Hong).

VU Botanical Garden's lilac collection is selected according to:

flower colors: white, violet, blue, lilac, pink, magenta, purple;
bloom structure: hollow and solid;
flowering time: early flowering, mid-late flowering and late flowering.

		Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris L.) 'Krasavitsa Moskvy' The shrub is of medium height. The flowers are pale pink, full, with large, fragrant inflorescences. Blooms profusely and long. It is one of the most beautiful, world-renowned varieties. It was developed in 1947 by the Russian breeder L. Kolesnikov.
		Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris L.) 'Sensation' The shrub is of medium height. The flowers are hollow, bicolored, purple with a white edge, and clustered in large clustered inflorescences. Developed in 1938 in the Netherlands by the breeder E. Maarse.
		Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris L.) 'Ami Schott' The shrub is tall and wide. The flowers are large (2,5cm), bluish, full-pinnate. Inflorescences are large, dense, fragrant. Looks spectacular in bloom and is one of the ten most beautiful varieties. Developed in France in 1933 by breeder E. Lemoine.
		Dwarf lilac (Syringa meyeri C.K.Schneid.) 'Palibin' The shrub is dense, regular in shape and grows to 1-2m. The flowers are pale pink, small, hollow and strongly scented. Blooms profusely from late May to June. The variety was developed around 1920, author unknown.