Lilac Sunday at the Arnold Arboretum

Experience the springtime bloom of our renowned collection of nearly 400 lilacs. Visit for tours with Arboretum experts, hands-on children’s programming, and more. Picnicking in the Arboretum landscape is permitted on this day only.

Lilac Collection:

With 403 lilac plants representing 175 taxa (kinds), the Arboretum holds one of the premier lilac collections in North America. Lilac Sunday has been celebrated at the Arnold Arboretum since 1908.

TOURS:

Guided Lilac Tour

Join an Arboretum expert for a guided tour of the lilac collection. Tours depart every half hour between 10:00am–2:30pm from Arborway Gate and the Ponds.

Self-Guided Lilac Tour

Signs in the landscape feature specific lilacs to reveal the amazing diversity of this special collection. Print a Self-Guided Lilac Tour.

Expeditions Mobile App

Access the lilac tour—as well as over 60 additional plants and areas—on our mobile app, Expeditions. The app is available in English, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese/Mandarin. You can access Expeditions through your smartphone’s internet browser or download the app from the Apple App store and the Google Play store.

Explore on Your Own

• Conifer Path showcases the diversity of coniferous plants from temperate regions around the world including the dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) and golden larch (Pseudolarix amabilis).
• The Malus Collection (apples/crabapples) on Peters Hill bloom in white and shades of red ranging from pale pink to deep purplish rose creating a spectacular display among our 445 plants in this collection.
• Rhododendron Dell at the foot of Hemlock Hill is a contemplative landscape showcasing the Arboretum’s core collection of hybrid and evergreen rhododendrons.

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