Late Spring Means 106th Lilac Sunday In Full Bloom At Arnold Arboretum
BSOTON (CBS) -- Mother's Day tradition "Lilac Sunday" at the Arnold Arboretum is expected to be in full bloom this year.
Jack Alexander, who is a plant propagator for the arboretum makes sure they bloom this time of year.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Mary Blake reports
"I'm the one who goes out and worries over them and encourages them to bloom this time of year," he says.
This year is the 106th year for Lilac Sunday and is expected to be spectacular. The past two years, Lilac Sunday has been held after peak but this year's late spring will pay off for Lilac Sunday attendees. Alexander said the lilacs are just before peak, right now.
"It's a late spring but we have early flowering lilacs in bloom now," Alexander said. "We're promised some warm weather so I think we'll have a pretty good show."
With the 370 lilac plants of 176 kinds at the Arboretum, Alexander has a hard time choosing just one but is fond of the colors of "Purple Haze" and "Lilac Sunday," a variety he introduced.
Both Alexander's grandfather and great-grandfather grew lilacs and passed the art down to Alexander, who has been at the Arboretum more than 30 years.
"Lilacs are not native to North America, they are native to Eastern Europe and Asia," Alexander said. "They came to this continent as most of us did, as immigrants."
The Lilac Sunday celebration is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. For more details, go to the Arnold Arboretum website.