Seringa Fragrance

Seringa is a delicate and fusing white flower, subtle like a spring bouquet. It is also called the “jasmine of the poets” and has orange blossom facets.

The jasmine of the poets

The Seringa is a shrub, distant cousin of the Hydrangea. Its white flowers are generously present in clusters on the branches from May. They have a very strong fragrance reminiscent of Jasmine. It is also called “Jasmin des poètes”. Another proximity of its scent is with the orange blossom, and there too a name is derived from it, in English, it is the «orange mock».

About forty varieties grow naturally in temperate countries of the northern hemisphere. In France, it is popular in the gardens around Paris. It is also found in North America, it is even the official flower of Idaho in the United States. In Japan, it is called “Satsumi”.

A creation of the late nineteenth century

Let us establish it immediately! Its Latin botanical name is Philadelphus and not the false friend Syringa which is none other than the… lilac. The Swedish naturalist Carl von Linné described the Philadelphus in 1753. But it was in the 19th century that many particularly fragrant ornamental hybrids were created. Among the inveterate gardeners-creators, Victor Lemoine has signed a large number of cultivars. He is recognized as the greatest creator of horticultural plants of all time. He settled in Nancy during this politically troubled period but so conducive to the arts. Flowers and plant forms will inspire Art Nouveau for cabinetmakers and glassmakers. In 1877, Victor Lemoine founded the Société Centrale d’Horticulture de Nancy with glassmaker Emile Gallé and draughtsman Léon Simon. During these years, he… flourishing, the botanical garden of Nancy has preserved a large number of Seringas.