Mackinac Island is renowned for its captivating lilacs, which erupt in a stunning display of color and fragrance each June, enchanting visitors for a brief yet glorious period. Although tour guides often romanticize the origins of these blossoms, they are not indigenous to the island or even to North America; rather, they were introduced by settlers in the mid-18th century from their native regions in Eastern Europe and Asia. The lilacs, initially planted by business owners to entice tourists, have evolved into a significant aspect of the island's cultural heritage, culminating in the annual Lilac Festival that attracts thousands of visitors.
This is Bob Myers from the Historical Society of Michigan with a Michigan History moment. Mackinac island has many wonders. Among them, it's lilacs.
The island is famed for its lilacs that burst into fragrant bloom every June for a couple of glorious weeks. Mackinac island is alive with poofs of purple, pink, magenta, lilac blue and white and the blossom's wonderful aroma.
The island offers ideal growing conditions for many species of lilacs, some of them that stand almost three stories tall. Lilacs, however, are not indigenous to Mackinac island or even North America.
Tour guides like to tell visitors that Jesuit missionaries brought the lilacs to the island, but alas, that story is a myth.
Lilacs, which are native to eastern Europe and Asia and came to America Sometime in the mid 18th century, 19th century settlers probably introduced them to Mackinac Island.
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Today, the annual Lilac Lilac Festival draws thousands of visitors to Mackinac Island. Many of the island's lilacs are old, so attention in recent years has turned to pruning and removing old shrubs and planting new ones.
Varieties called President Lincoln and President Greevy, the latter named for a 19th century president of France, now grow around the island marina and in Marquette Park. Other lilacs on the island were contributed by the International Lilac Society.
Today, about 20% of the island's lilacs are either early or late bloomers.
The latter varieties, such as the bright pink Miss Canada and the purplish Isabella Preston, extend Mackinac Island's lilac season later into the summer.
Other popular varieties include the large and fragrant Pocahontas, the White Edge Sensation, the pure white Madame Lemon and the creamy white and pink Beauty of Moscow. Mackinac Island's lilacs have even made it into the silver screen.
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