An unlikely hero that can live for hundreds of years, grow and even thrive in cold climates and foretell the arrival of spring, the Lilac's superpowers are helping today's scientists with one very important task - to help determine the changing of the seasons and shifting of the climate that affect us all. Observe the Lilac, as well as other superhero USA-NPN plants called The Calibration Species, and record your findings in your very own online laboratory on YourGardenShow and we will pass along this important information.

Speaking of the past, the Cloned Lilac Project is a another super-special project and has been ongoing since the 1950's. If you'd like to add this fascinating Citizen Science project to the lilacs you're already observing, consider purchasing a cloned cutting of the mother Lilac first used in this initiative, genetically identical to the original, and now 60 years old! This unique aspect allows scientists to eliminate variances across North America caused by plant differences. The important thing though is to participate, because whether you use your own Lilacs or acquire cloned ones, you could say both projects are super!