Designed by famous landscape artist Jen Jensen, the 10 ac (4 ha) Lombard Community Park, known as Lilacia Park, is home to a myriad of varieties of the flower, which spread its horticultural roots from Asia Minor to Lombard, Illinois. The remarkable fact is that Lilacia Park started with only two lilac cuttings.
The park’s flower collection was originally owned by Colonel William Plum and his wife Helen Maria Williams Plum, who purchased land in Lombard in 1869 and then filled it with lilacs. The first two cuttings planted on the site were a double white 'Mme Casimir Périer' and a double purple 'Michel Buchner.' The Plums brought them from their trip to the legendary Victor Lemoine's gardens in France. In 1927, in Colonel's will, the Plum's house on the estate was given to Lombard residents as a public library and the land—as a public park.
Nowadays, in Lilacia Park, you have a chance to stroll among over 1,500 lilac bushes of 300 varieties, some 50 varieties of tulips, and a large number of other plants. A greenhouse, picnic areas, historical building, and drinking fountains are also here for your comfort.
The period from late April to early May is when the flowers are in the fullest bloom, and the village’s annual Lilac Time takes place. So come to take in the spring beauty and enjoy the delicate scent all around.
