Michigan Is Home To The Oldest Lilacs In The Entire Nation

Spring is in bloom across Michigan!

Officials says the tulips over in Holland, MI are at peak bloom right now just as the Tulip Time Festival is set to kick off. With lilac bushes across the state beginning to blossom we look forward to Michigan's annual Mackinac Island Lilac Festival next month in June.

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Did you know Michigan is home to the oldest lilacs in the entire nation?

I sure didn't! I didn't even know lilacs are not even native to Michigan-- or anywhere in the Western Hemisphere for that matter! So how did they even get there?

Lucky Lilacs

Famed author Henry David Thoreau is credited for one of the earliest documentations of the lilacs on Mackinac Island, having visited shortly before his death in 1862. However, as more families began moving to the island they also brought lilacs with them.

One such example is the Hubbard family who moved to Mackinac Island from the New England area. As is tradition in Europe the family planted lilacs near their farm for good luck. Claims the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau,

Some of the lilac stems near that farm, which later was developed into...an area known as Hubbard’s Annex, are about 100 years old and are offspring of older stems that were also about 100 years old. So, it has been about 200 years since lilacs were brought to Mackinac Island, making them the oldest in the country.

Mackinac Island Lilac Festival

First created after World War II Michigan's famous Lilac Festival has taken place annually since 1949 and is now about to head into its 76th year.

From June 7-16, 2024 visitors can celebrate the beauty and unique history of this flowering shrub. According to the Mackinac Island website you can expect lilac walking tours, lilac planting seminars, a cornhole tournament, family-friendly fun and games, live music, and of course the Grand Parade and the crowning of this year's Lilac Queen!

Picture yourself riding around picturesque Mackinac Island on a warm spring day as the smell of lilacs wafts across the island. Sounds like a Hallmark movie come true!