Lilac

or Syringa, an ornamental shrub of the olive family, somewhat related to the ash. It is a showy shrub, with fine pyramids of fragrant flowers of the delicate purple color to which they have given a name. Lilacs are a trifle old-fashioned, but the fashion of planting lilac bushes is nevertheless a good one. Our cultivated varieties are from the Caucasus, the Himalayas, China, and Japan.