Lilac vs. Lavender: 5 Differences Between the Edible Purple Blooms

Many of the flowers we enjoy and embrace for floral arrangements and décor have many additional uses, like lilac and lavender, which are both edible flowers as well. The beautiful, typically purple flowers make an excellent addition to the home garden, herb garden, tea garden, or even indoor growing zones. But what’s the difference between lilacs vs. lavender and how can you decide which is the better plant for your space?

Let’s review the differences and see where these plants come from, where they thrive, and what you might consider using them for in your home and garden space.

Lilac vs. Lavender: 5 Differences to Consider

Key Differences Between Lilac and Lavender

While the two flowers do have a lot in common, with their incredible fragrances, shades of color, and uses, they have a little of differences as well, which may well help you determine which plant is best for your garden and home.

Lilac vs. Lavender: Classification

The scientific name for lilac is Syringa. The plant is in a genus of 12 species of plants that are technically part of the olive family. The plant has about 25 species total, and comes in a wide range of colors and shades.

Lavender belongs to the genus Lavandula. There are 47 known species in the genus, which come in a variety of colors and shades and serves many different purposes. The most widely used cultivated species is Lavandula angustifolia, so most often when you see a lavender plant in use or for sale, it will be this variety.

Lilac vs. Lavender: Description

One thing lavender and lilac definitely have in common with each other is the vibrant blooms that come in pale to vivid shades of pinks, purples, and whites. They also both smell incredible and are prized for their delicate fragrances.

Lilacs, though, are small trees that grow between 6.5 feet and 33 feet in height, with heart-shaped leaves that are opposite each other in whorls of three. The flowers bloom in spring and come in a range of anything from white to pale purple to mauve, violet, or even burgundy. You might even find some pale yellow lilacs blooming around the neighborhood in mid-spring to early summer.

Lavender is an herbaceous perennial shrub, which is small and branches out into spreading blooms. The plant has gray-green leaves on long, flowering shoots that pop out those vivid purple flowers we love. The spikes of flowers may come in lilac, blue, pale purple, dark purple, or any shade between. The plants grow up to about 1.3 feet in height and live for a few decades.

Lilac vs. Lavender: Uses

Lilac is a beautiful plant that has many practical and aesthetic uses. For one, it’s a fantastic pollinator attractor. Butterflies, moths, bees, and hummingbirds all love the heady scent the flowers offer up as they bloom. Lilacs are largely thought of as ornamental plants, as well, often trimmed for cut flowers and planted as decorative options to boost the aesthetics of a garden.

Lilacs also an edible plant which might be a little surprising for some. They flowers fill the air with stunning fragrance but add a unique flavor to many choices such as lilac honey, cake toppings, and other garnishes. The flowering plant has also been used medicinally, primarily from the fruit and leaves, not the blossoms. These components have been used in teas and dietary infusions, intended to stave off a recurrence of diseases like malaria or to reduce fevers. Lilacs are also often used in skin care products and to treat rashes and other minor skin conditions.

Lavender is a versatile plant that many have known to be ornamental for flower arrangements and garden settings. The heady fragrance from the flowers is also found in essential oils, shampoos, soaps, laundry detergents, cleaning supplies, and scented candles – all thanks to its aroma. The plant is used specifically for aromatherapy as well, but also as an insect repellent, and wound care.

Lavender is more well-known as an edible plant, having been infused into teas and sauces, desserts, and other meals and treats in recent decades. The plant is also a pollinator’s paradise, though, with its intense fragrance and sweet nectar that bees use for creating unique tasting lavender honey. The plant is often added to skin care products, hair loss prevention products, upset stomach soothe, sleep aids, and motion sickness products.

Be aware that there is limited medical knowledge of use for these two plants and consultation with an expert is highly recommended before inclusion of either lavender or lilac into your holistic health care.

Lilac vs. Lavender: Origins and Growing Preferences

The name Lilac comes from the French word, via Arabic and Persian use, meaning “blush.” The plant (Syringa) was first officially described for records in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus. The plant is native to eastern Europe and Asia and was brought to North America around the time of the founding fathers of the USA. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson wrote about the plant in their gardening notes.

Lilacs do well in cold climates, since they need a period of cold-initiated dormancy to keep them flowering each year. They should be planted in cooler months (think early to mid-autumn) in spots where they’ll get full sun in well-drained soil. They can tolerate partial shade but they won’t flower nearly as well there. It will take the plants several years to fully establish themselves, but lilac shrubs may thrive for literal centuries, so it’s well worth the wait as they situation themselves.

Lavender, on the other hand, does better in warmer climates, as it originated in the mountains of western Europe in the Mediterranean region. The plants have adapted and do all right in cooler climates as well, now, but they thrive best in warmer areas. The plant was brought with travelers from the region to many other locales, including England, where lavender is now a part of a traditional English cottage garden. Diving deeper in, we see that lavender is on record for at least 2,500 years as being in use, including in Egypt and Rome for its perfumery purposes.

Plant your lavender in the spring, after all danger of frost has passed, in areas with full sun to partial shade. The plant thrives in sandy, well-drained soil. The plant can survive dry conditions and does best when you only water it when the topsoil is dry.

Lilac vs. Lavender: Special Features and Fun Facts

Lilacs and lavender are both beautiful plants steeped in legend and romance. But did you know that lilacs specifically are considered a symbol of not just romance but first love? The beautiful white to purple flowers are also specifically associated with Easter time, since it flowers around that part of the calendar, and is often called paschalia because of that (it means “of Easter”). The flower has inspired many poems, as well, including the stunning “When Lilacs Last in Dooryard Bloom’d” by Walt Whitman.

Lavender, on the other hand, is more associated with purity, devotion, and grace than with romantic first love. The beautiful flower is planted in many historical settings as well, dating back as far as ancient Egyptians using the plant for mummification (the perfume part!), ancient Greeks treating insomnia, and 17th Century person trying to ward of the Bubonic plague with it. Lavender is also a great bug repellent, so if you need to keep the creepy crawlies out of the house, plant some around the doors and windows.

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The photo featured at the top of this post is © Kalina Georgieva/Shutterstock.com