Last updated on May 7, 2025
There are more than 400 lilac plants in the Arnold Arboretum, and they will be aromatic during Lilac Sunday on Mother’s Day.
Lilac Sunday doesn’t just mean stopping and smelling the, um, lilacs. There are activities from 10 am to 3 pm including lilac and landscape tours, family fun and crafts, dancing performances, guided meditation, chalk drawing, equipment displays, and more.
Visitors are welcome to find a special spot and picnic, which is normally not permitted in the Arnold Arboretum.
Street parking along the Arboretum perimeter is extremely limited, so alternatives—including walking, bicycling, ridesharing, or use of public transportation via the Forest Hills MBTA station—are strongly encouraged.
Due to the extraordinary diversity of our lilacs—one of eight nationally accredited collections stewarded for research and plant conservation at the Arboretum—flowering is staggered over the course of more than a month. Download our lilac tour [pdf] for self-guided explorations or register online for one of several guided lilac tours on the days preceding and following Lilac Sunday. Join our enthusiastic docents on a 45-minute amble up Bussey Hill from the ponds to see the lilacs, relish their scents, and get acquainted with the many lilac species, hybrids, and cultivars we grow.
