An Arnold Arboretum introduction, 1997.
Single purple.
Introduced in 1997 by the Arnold Arboretum, named in honor of the Arboretum’s annual celebration of Lilacs.
The flowers of ‘Lilac Sunday’ are a fragrant, single, light purple and produce an abundant display of cascading blossoms every year, coinciding with the earlier cultivars of the common lilac.
Although each individual flower is small, the flower panicles are produced not only at the branch tips, like the common lilac, but also from the lateral buds along the stems at a distance of two or more feet from the branch tips.
A small-leaved lilac, the branches themselves are willowy, arching under the weight of the flowers and giving the impression of being two feet long. ‘Lilac Sunday’ should attain a size of about 10’ high x 12’ wide.
Disease resistant and hardy to Zone 3.
To quote Jack Alexander, Plant Propagator of the Arnold Arboretum, “Lilac cultivars may be selected for fragrance, color, and abundance of flower. ‘Lilac Sunday’ was chosen for all these traits but even more for its very attractive habit.”