National Arboretum develops new lilacs

WASHINGTON, July 7 (UPI) -- The U.S. National Arboretum says it's developed and released three varieties of lilacs, a flowering bush with a storied role in U.S. history.

Native to eastern Asia and southeastern Europe, lilacs were brought to North America by the first settlers and were sold in American nurseries as early as 1800, officials said.

"The oldest living lilacs in North America may be those at the Governor (John) Wentworth estate in Portsmouth, N.H., believed to have been planted around 1750," the U.S. Agriculture Department, which operates the arboretum, said. "In 1767, Thomas Jefferson recorded his method of planting lilacs in his garden book, and in 1785, George Washington noted that he had transplanted lilacs in his garden."

Today, more than 2 million lilacs are sold annually in the United States, accounting for more than $13 million in wholesale sales.

The new types, honoring the patriotic role lilacs have played in U.S. history, have been dubbed "Betsy Ross," "Old Glory" and "Declaration."

A report on the new lilacs by Margaret Pooler, a research geneticist at the National Arboretum, appeared in the April issue of the journal HortScience.