Lilac Garden

Go down to Kew in lilac-time, in lilac-time, in lilac-time;
Go down to Kew in lilac-time (it isn't far from London!)
And you shall wander hand in hand with love in summer's wonderland;
Go down to Kew in lilac-time (it isn't far from London!)

From 'The Barrel-Organ' by Alfred Noyes (1880-1958)

Lilacs are among the most elegant and colourful of all flowering shrubs, so it is no wonder that Alfred Noyes was enchanted by the showings at Kew. In fact, several lilacs, including the Chinese species Syringa julianae and Syringa sweginzowii, reached the nation's gardens through Kew's lilac collection.

Although historical records certainly show Kew had lilacs in the past, today's Lilac Garden is the result of a replanting completed in 1997. Most lilacs are cultivated from eastern Europe's Syringa vulgaris, but lilacs can also be found ranging right through the Himalayas to the mountains of China where the greatest diversity of species occurs. In the wild, lilacs prefer well-drained soils on hills at the edges of woodlands or in open forests, although some species are equally at home in mountain gorges. However, many grow well in fertile, humus-rich but well-drained soil in full sun.

Kew's Lilac Garden is best viewed in late May and early June, although flowering times do vary each year. There are 105 specimens in ten beds arranged according to their cultivation and breeding history.

As well as the Syringa species, there are 'Chinese' lilacs based on the hybrid Syringa x chinensis, developed in Rouen, France, which has a rounded habit and paired flower spikes; and 'Hyacinthiflora' hybrids from a cross between Syringa vulgaris and the early flowering Chinese species Syringa oblata.

There are also excellent shows from the late-flowering Villosae lilacs bred in Canada by Isabella Preston and the Pubescente cultivars, with their hairy leaves and relatively small size.

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Back up to: Entrance Zone

Carry on to: Broad Walk