It does sound a little dirty but in fact it is the Latin name for the common lilac. Loved by mothers and grandmothers this shrub is now going on a thousand different cultivars. Several are heat tolerant (such as the Descanso varieties out of California) but for the most part this a shrub that needs the cold. In the Northeast it tends to flower early to mid May. Most reputable cemeteries are bursting with fragrance at the moment. Fine with the waiting list on that one.
