Down the Garden Path: How Lombard became The Lilac Village

Every spring, Lilacia Park bursts into bloom. William and Helen Plum would name their estate “Lilacia” (pronounced Li-lay-sha) to pay homage to their cherished flower. This picturesque park abounds in more than 700 lilac shrubs.

Nestled in downtown Lombard, a western suburb of Chicago, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019 and holds the second-largest diversified collection of lilacs available to the public, according to the Lombard Park District.

Lilacs are originally from Eastern Europe and are not native to Illinois, so how did such a vast assortment come together in Lombard?

Souvenirs from France

This extensive lilac collection is a result of a trip to France made by Col. William Plum and his wife Helen. William was a Civil War veteran and lawyer, and the couple would move to (Babcock’s Grove) Lombard in 1868. Subsequently, “The Plums became enamored with lilacs while taking the Grand Tour of Europe and visiting the famous gardens of Victor Lemoine in Nancy, France,” according to the Lombard Lilac Time website.

The Plums returned from France with two lilac cultivars to plant on their estate. They continued to acquire more lilacs until the collection grew to a breathtaking 1,200 lilacs. After the Plums died, in 1927 the village of Lombard was the recipient of their house and their gardens. Col. Plum stipulated that the house should become a free public library named in memory of his wife, and the lilac garden should become a free public park for the people of Lombard.

Designer landscape

Jens Jensen, the famous landscape architect and conservation advocate, was selected to transform the garden into a public park. Jensen had designed or redesigned public parks in Chicago. Later, he landscaped the estates of wealthy clients.

At the time, Plum had planted his lilacs in straight rows. But Jensen had an artist’s eye for beauty and a deep understanding of what people needed to be nourished and renewed by nature. He accepted the commission, only charging $600.

Jensen and his staff repositioned the lilac shrubs around his signature curving pathways and limestone benches. He built rock work with a waterfall and pond, creating a scene reminiscent of the limestone bluffs along the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers and Lake Michigan.

Jensen knew that nature and the performing arts were an essential combination. Even today, performances on the Players Hill (now a deck) entertain audiences sitting on the Players Green, a meadow below. Jensen surrounded the meadow with crabapple trees and tulips, which along with the lilacs, are all in bloom at the same time. Today there are over 25,000 tulips in the park.

Pinpointing Lilac Time

The stars of the show, the lilacs, bloom in seven different colors. Some bloom early, some mid-season, and some later. “Lombard Lilac Time” will take place May 4 to May 19, during the height of bloom. Both the Lilac Time website and Lombard Park District Facebook page feature a “Bloom-O-Meter,” and visiting the park when the meter says “Fully Blooming” assures visitors a fragrant and visual delight. Find the schedule of activities on the Lilac Time website and obtain tickets for the tours offered by the Lombard Historical Society.

Paula Kosin is a certified Master Naturalist volunteer with the University of Illinois Extension serving DuPage, Kane, and Kendall counties. In 2020, she was the recipient of the Urban Forestry Community Stewardship Award from the Chicago Region Trees Initiative. Thank you to Alison Costanzo, Executive Director of the Lombard Historical Society, for her contributions to this article.