Heady, rich and intoxicating, the scent of lilac stirs the heart as well as the soul. Known to generations as a symbol of blooming romance, the lilac flower is as delicate in appearance as it is fragrant.
One of the most welcoming sights of spring, the early flowering lilac ranges in colour from a soft shade of violet to a full-blooded deep purple that mirrors the intensity of a lover’s emotions.
Originally from Greece and the surrounding lands, for centuries lilacs were cultivated and given as exotic gifts. In time more and more cultures came to prize them for their sweet, uplifting fragrance and the joyful sight of their flowers, and lilac’s fame spread around the world. The ancient Persians are thought to have grown lilacs in their paradise gardens, and when the lilac reached Western Europe and the Americas it quickly became a favourite. Imbued with deep meaning and symbolism wherever it is grown, lilac always represents romantic love.
Like all shades of purple, lilac is associated with luxury and wealth. It is a strongly feminine colour, and like love itself it can evoke many moods. Lilac can be romantic, sensual, mystical, dominant or subtle, with the power to captivate, charm and persuade. Lilac is always an intense experience that draws you in to a sensory world that is warm and cosseting, with enticing overtones of yearning, pleasure and desire.
Lilac’s association with love can be spiritual or carnal, but it is too intense a shade ever to be unrequited. Whereas love can take many forms from platonic to erotic, lilac is at heart a hedonistic colour that represents the powerful physical and emotional intimacy of the sort that committed lovers share.
