Experience the beauty of springtime in full bloom! On Sunday, May 10, 2026, Lilac Sunday returns to the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain.
The annual event puts the arboretum’s full collection of over 400 dazzling lilacs on full display. The event includes hands-on programming, educational sessions from seasoned horticulturalists, chalk art, and more! This is the only day of the entire in year in which picknicking in the Arboretum landscape is permitted!
The event, which coincides with Mother’s Day, is a lovely opportunity to celebrate mom and enjoy a beautiful spring day.
The lilac collection at the Arboretum is so robust, it draws visitors from all over the world, and is among the premier collections of plants in North America.
Lilac Sunday returns this May
In total the collection boasts 407 lilac plants across 173 taxa (vairities) and is among the most robust in the nation. Don’t miss your chance to partake in the annual Boston Sunday tradition on May 10 on Bussey Hill Road.
Expert-guided tours depart on Sunday between 10 AM-2:30 PM from the Ponds.
The landscape is free and open from da uwnntil dusk year-round. The lilacs are expected to peak around mid-May, with many of the fragrant vairities emitting a wonderful aroma.
This is the 116th celebration of Lilac Sunday in Boston!
About Arnold Arboretum
Established in 1872, the Arnold Arboretum is America’s first public arboretum. It is home to one of the world’s most-comprehensive collections of temperate woody plants and free and open to all every day. The Arboretum is accessible via the MBTA orange line to Forest Hills.
