This lilac is a long-lived shrub, often living up to 50 years. Common purple lilac bushes can still be seen thriving near abandoned pioneer homesteads. In the city or the country, the lilac hedge is a favourite place for birds because the dense foliage provides good nesting and hiding habitat. The stem was used by ancient Greek doctors to inject medications into their patients. Pan and eventually turned into a hollow reed from which he made his first flute or pan-pipe.
Some botanic gardens have extensive lilac collections.
Here you can see the amazing diversity of colour and flower shapes in different cultivars. In southern Ontario, visit the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington around May 18-25, the average time of peak bloom. In central Alberta, go to the Devonian Botanic Garden in late May or early June. Otherwise, a recommended cultivar for Plantwatch observers is Syringa vulgaris 'Charles Joly', developed in 1896 in France. The flowers of this species are slightly redder in colour than most common purple lilacs but are suitable for Plantwatch because they are early blooming.