May 13
I heart lilacs even when they are dead and dying
Cats: beauty|Now don’t think me morbid but as my lilac bunches age and die off, their fragrance actually intensifies. I’m sure a botanist could explain the reason behind this. (Anyone? Dick? Tognetti? YAM?)
Outside on the trees, the flower blossoms are wilting and rusting around the edges, but the smell! I think I’ll run out pick some more just for the pure sweet pleasure of the smell.
June 13th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
But it makes me sad that they only bloom for about ten minutes, like the peonies.
And you know how sun dried tomatoes taste really tomatoey, maybe the botanists can explain that too?
June 14th, 2007 at 3:25 am
But doesn’t everything smell more when it’s dead?
The smell of lilacs bring me back to my childhood. I had a beautiful tree/bush in my back yard last summer. We had the by excavated to put in a new drainage system and they managed to dig up all my trees and plants and throw them over the bank. We were away in NS the week it happened else I’m sure I would have chained myself to the lilac to make sure they did not touch it.
June 14th, 2007 at 6:52 am
Sorry, I don’t recall reading any papers regarding fragrance intensity as a function of floral maturity. My educated guess would be that you are imagining things, as I see no genetic advantage to what you are proposing.
June 14th, 2007 at 7:14 am
The Badger that was hit three day ago on the road out front of my place smells worse every day!!
June 14th, 2007 at 7:31 am
Did a double blind smell test on two different noses and the deader flowers were more intense…
June 15th, 2007 at 6:50 am
I suppose the rotting organic concept could apply. The bacteria must aid in the release of the volatiles.
If you like the smell of fish, just wait a couple of days.
June 15th, 2007 at 7:03 am
Our lilacs are just starting to flower. 870 meters elevation, 51 degrees latitude.
June 18th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Did you happen to do a smell test whether the purples are more fragrant that the whites? I’ve had a bunch of whites around for about a week, disappointed with the fragrance and even dead I got nuttin’.
I’m patiently waiting for the mock orange….