The arrival of lilac blooms is natures way of announcing that spring has arrived. The blooming of these shrubs is a fragrant awakening for our senses after winter.
The plumes of white, pink, purple, and mauve make lilac a beautiful option for a garden.
This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase any of the products I have recommended, I may receive a commission at no cost to you. For more information, please see my disclosures.
History & Lore
The common lilac was brought to America from Europe. But it dates back all the way to ancient Greek times. There is a legend about the god Pan, the god of forests and fields. He fell hopelessly in love with the nymph Syringa. Syringa was terrified of the affection of Pan. To escape Pan Syringa ran through the forest and turned herself into a lilac bush to hide.
Edible Flower
In trying to find flowers that are edible lilacs popped up on the list. It is amazing how many edible options we have available. You can often find lilacs adorning cakes and pastries. The flowers themselves have an explosive floral, slightly bitter flavor with slight astringency.
When creating anything to use on or in your body make sure that the plants have not been sprayed with pesticides or herbicides. Also, be sure to get permission if you are harvesting anywhere that doesn’t belong to you.
One of the most common ways you can use lilac is by creating an infused honey. Follow the steps below to creating an infusion.
- Harvest 3 or 4 flower clusters (preferably in the morning)
- Shake the flowers to remove any dust and bugs
- Use scissors to cut the flowers from the stem
- Place them in a pint size mason jar
- Cover the blossoms with raw local honey
- Let sit – after the honey has settled you may need to add more to cover the blossoms
- Allow the honey to sit for a few days to a few weeks stirring occasion
- Since the flowers are edible you can leave the flowers in or remove and use
- The honey will be good for several months
Creating a Body Oil
Lilacs do not yield an essential oil when steam distilled. Lilac CO2 extract is available, but it is costly. To purchase a true lilac CO2 would be several hundred dollars for one ounce.
To enjoy the scent of lilac beyond the couple weeks of flowering time you can create an enfleurage or an infused oil. Just be mindful that it won’t be as fragrant as the fresh blooms. To create an infused body oil, you will need a small mason jar, some flower clusters, and an oil of your choice. When creating infused oils, it is better to choose an oil that doesn’t have a lot of fragrance and is good for the skin. Jojoba is a good choice because of its long shelf life.
To infuse lilacs:
- Harvest 2 to 3 flower clusters (preferably in the morning)
- Allow the clusters to wilt 4-12 hours (this will reduce the chance of mold)
- Place them in a half pint jar (I prefer to do smaller batches when learning)
- Cover the blossoms with oil and put a lid on
- Allow the infusion to sit for 7 days
- Strain out flowers and use
These steps will create a mild infused oil. If you would like to make a stronger fragrance infuse a new batch of flowers into the same oil.
Medicinal Benefits
It is hard to find information if there are actual medicinal properties of the flowers. The little bit that has been written they seem to be anti-periodic. Anti-periodic is preventing the periodic return of disease. They also seem to have an astringent property which can be beneficial for skin care.
If you would like to learn more I have expanded on all of this information into an ebook you can learn more by grabbing your copy in the shop.
While there isn’t a lot of studies into the benefits of using lilac, they do make a wonderful addition to your spring bounty. Do you have a favorite way of using lilacs?
