Celebrate spring at the Arnold Arboretum’s annual Lilac Sunday

The arboretum’s hundreds of lilacs are in full bloom on Mother’s Day.

Lilacs bloom throughout May at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain. Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University

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Lilac Sunday returns to the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University in Jamaica Plain this Mother’s Day, a sure sign that spring is here in Boston. On May 14, the arboretum marks its 113th Lilac Sunday, celebrating the park’s hundreds of fragrant purple lilacs while they’re in peak bloom.

Lilac Sunday visitors can explore the arboretum’s lilac grove with an expert tour, self-guided tour, or by downloading the park’s mobile app, Expeditions. The day also includes hands-on children’s programming, and picnicking in the arboretum’s landscape is allowed on Lilac Sunday only.

With over 400 lilac plants and 149 different taxa, the Arnold Arboretum has one of the biggest lilac collections in North America. While lilacs are part of New England’s horticultural heritage, like much of the area’s flora, they aren’t native to North America. Most lilac species come from Asia, while the common lilac hails from eastern Europe. Other springtime flowers blooming at the arboretum in May include crabapple trees and rhododendrons.

The Arnold Arboretum has celebrated Lilac Sunday since 1908, when The Boston Globe dubbed the last Sunday in May of 1908 “Lilac Sunday at Arnold Arboretum.” The event is now celebrated on the second Sunday in May, although the hundreds of lilac plants bloom all throughout the month.

The arboretum is free and open to the public, so Lilac Sunday visitors can come anytime during the park’s open hours—from sunrise until sunset. Note that the Visitors Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The arboretum is easily accessible by public transit via the Forest Hills Orange Line T stop or by bike, and the Arborway and Bussey Street offer free parking.