Lilac is the scent of May: its lush clusters appear in parks and courtyards in late spring and bloom for only a few weeks. Here’s when lilac blooms in Ukraine, what lilac and its colours mean, the folk beliefs around it, whether you may pick it and what the fine is, and how to keep lilac fresh in a vase.
Common lilac blooms from late April to late May: the south sees the first clusters by mid-April, Kyiv and central Ukraine peak in the first half of May, and the north and Carpathians in mid to late May.
One bush blooms for 2–3 weeks; a warm spring brings it forward, a cold one delays it by a week or two.
Hyacinth-flowered lilac opens first, then common and Hungarian lilac, and in late May–June the Zvegintsov and Japanese tree lilacs. Planting several species gives over a month of bloom.
Ukraine’s largest lilac collection is the syringarium of the Hryshko National Botanical Garden in Kyiv; for varieties and planting see our lilac garden guide.
What lilac means
Lilac symbolises spring, first love and youth; giving a sprig of lilac is a confession of tender feelings.
The genus name Syringa comes from the Greek syrinx, a pipe, as hollow stems were once made into pipes; in myth, the nymph Syrinx turned into reeds to escape the god Pan.
In Ukraine lilac is a favourite for May celebrations, graduations and the last school bell.
Lilac folk beliefs
Find a flower with five petals instead of four, make a wish and eat it, and the wish is said to come true.
Abundant lilac bloom foretells a warm, fruitful year.
Lilac planted by the house protects the family from quarrels.
Autumn lilac bloom means a mild winter; it happens after a hot, dry summer.
Can you pick lilac, and what is the fine?
In Ukraine you may not break lilac in parks, squares, streets or the courtyards of apartment blocks, as the bushes count as urban green spaces.
Liability falls under Article 152 of Ukraine’s Code of Administrative Offences (urban improvement). At the time of writing, fines are UAH 340–1,360 for individuals and UAH 850–1,700 for officials and entrepreneurs.
Police, municipal guards or environmental inspectors can issue a report. Cutting lilac in your own garden or buying it from a florist is perfectly legal.
Breaking also harms the bush: torn wounds heal slowly and it will flower less next year.
Keeping lilac in a vase
Cut stems in the morning when about half the florets in the cluster have opened.
Strip most of the leaves, which take water from the flowers.
Cut at an angle and split the woody stem end by 3–5 cm so it drinks better.
Stand it in cool water with flower food, which we add to every bouquet. Lilac then lasts 4–7 days; see how to make a bouquet last longer.
Fun facts about lilac
Lilac belongs to the olive family, related to the olive tree and ash.
Lilac can live for over a century; bushes at old estates are often older than the houses.
There are double-flowered varieties and even the pale yellow Primrose.
Lilac in a bouquet
Rather than breaking branches in the park, give lilac legally: white or purple lilac by the stem or a soft lilac-toned bouquet.
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
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