There was a paradise of purples, and lavenders and whites on Mother’s Day at the Arnold Arboretum for Lilac Sunday.

Visitors to the grounds were able to experience the sight, and fragrance, of one of the premier collections of the spring flowering tree in North America, with over 400 examples representing 173 different types of lilacs.

Lilac Sunday is a tradition at the Arboretum dating back to 1908.

Brighton’s Emma Wolitzky enjoys the scent of lilacs during Lilac Sunday at The Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)
Chelmsford’s Daniel Cane takes a close look at lilacs during Lilac Sunday at The Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)
Roslindale’s Tilila Magnuson enjoys the scent of lilacs with her grandmother Rachel Taknint, visiting from Milwaukee, during Lilac Sunday at The Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)