While cherry blossoms might be getting a lot of attention in other Canadian cities, Calgary has a few blossom bragging rights of its own. For anyone who’s walked around the city in the warmer months or attended the iconic Calgary Lilac Festival, you know that these fragrant blooms are everywhere. As the days heat up, you might be wondering when the lilacs in Calgary will start flowering. The good news: you shouldn’t have to wait much longer!
We spoke to Colin Hayles from Golden Acre Home and Garden in Calgary and co-host of the Helpful Gardener’s podcast to learn more about Calgary’s iconic lilacs.
Calgary’s lilacs
A stroll around nearly any Calgary neighbourhood at the height of spring smells amazing — and that’s all thanks to the multitude of lilacs in bloom. While you can certainly grow lilacs in the rest of Canada, these beauties do especially well here.
Hayles explains that this is thanks to the plant’s excellent cold hardiness, which makes them resistant to the harsh and fast temperature changes Calgary is famous for. But that’s not all. “Secondly is the sunshine,” Hayles tells us. “In order to really bloom, lilacs need a minimum of six hours of sunshine a day.”
Of course, being the sunniest city in Canada, Calgary has sunshine in spades!
The final piece to the puzzle is the lilac’s tolerance to drought. Once the plants are established, lilacs only need water during prolonged periods of dry, hot weather.
What type of lilacs can you find around Calgary?
You’ve probably seen a lot of different-looking lilacs around the city. From small shrubs in backyards to giant towering hedges bigger than trees. This is because Calgary is great for a large variety of lilac types.
“Calgary truly is a melting pot for lilac types,” says Hayles. “From dwarf shrubs to standards, individual trees and full hedges, the lilac is as versatile as it is beautiful.”
Some of the most common varieties you will see are the Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris), the Pocahontas Lilac (Syringa x hyacinthiflora ‘Pocahontas’) and the Sensation Lilac (Syringa vulgaris ‘Sensation’). The Japanese tree lilac (Syringa reticulata) and the Beauty of Moscow lilac (Syringa vulgaris ‘Krasavitsa Moskvy’) can be easily distinguished by their white blooms.
When will the lilacs bloom in Calgary?
We wish we could give you an exact date to circle on the calendar. But alas, plants don’t care about our schedule. According to Hayles, “spring” is about as accurate as we can get since the exact timing changes depending on how the season unfolds each year.
If you’re happy to settle for a ballpark estimate, Hayles says that late-May to early-June is the best time to find lilacs at their peak around Calgary. But depending on the weather, the lilac variety, and the plant’s health, it’s not uncommon to spot these blooms around the city anywhere from mid-May until late June.
So lucky for us, no matter when the lilacs start to bloom, it’s unlikely you’ll miss them!
Where can you find lilacs in Calgary?
Lilacs can be found all over Calgary, but if you want the most bang for your buck, there are a few areas to try.
Mission – It’s no surprise that the home of the Calgary Lilac Festival will have plenty of blooms to spare. From the front yards of private homes to parks, you’ll spot these purple beauties everywhere.
Riley Park – If you live in the Northwest, then try planning a picnic in Riley Park at the end of May. It’s a short walk from Kensington, and the smell of lilacs in full bloom is heavenly.
Bridgeland, Inglewood, and Mount Royal – Any of the older neighbourhoods in Calgary are great for spotting lilacs, especially large and mature plants. You might even mistake them for trees!
If you love lilacs, you’ll be happy to know they’re pretty easy to care for, even for those without green thumbs. Hayles informs us that lilacs can benefit from regular fertilizing and pruning, but once established, they’ll give you years of beauty with minimal effort. Common lilacs can also grow up to 15 feet tall, so keep that in mind if you’re working with a small yard.
Lilacs are beautiful, fragrant, and a local symbol of spring around Calgary. Who else is excited to finally see them in bloom?
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Alicia Lyons
Branded Content Writer
Alicia is a storyteller who chased the sun all the way to Calgary and decided to stay. When she’s not crafting killer content, she can be found stumbling along nature trails, curling under a fuzzy blanket with a good book, or finding any excuse to eat.
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