There are many different shades between the colors violet and purple. Lavender and lilac are two such shades that have been confusing a lot of people. These are shades that have been very popular in fabrics used for dress materials and also for fabrics used for furnishing. Lavender is a pale purple color, whereas lilac is a pale purple color in which a dash of pink has been added.
Comparison Chart
| Basis | Lavender | Lilac |
Shade |
Pale purple with a bluish tinge. | Light purple color with a pinkish tinge. |
| Flower | Genus of flowering plants. It belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae. | Genus having 12 recognized species of flowering woody plants in the olive family (Oleaceae). |
Qualities implied |
Femininity, elegance and grace. | Immaturity, vanity, youthfulness etc. |
| Further Shades | Lavender pink, pale lavender, lavender blue. | Pale lilac, deep lilac, French lilac. |
What is Lavender Color?
Lavender is a shade that is light purple with a bluish tinge. It is the name of the flower that has been used to name the color. It remained the name of the flower for long, but in 1930, the word was used to describe the shades of colors as lavender grey, lavender-blue in a dictionary of colors. Today there are many variations of lavender found in the color charts of paint companies such s pale lavender, lavender-blue, lavender grey, and even lavender-pink.
What is Lilac Color?
Lilac is the name of the flower after which this color has been named. It is actually light violet in shade. Pale violet is a true reflection of the color of these flowers though some people also refer to this color as light purple. Even in this range of light purple, there are sub shades that are referred to as pale lilac, deep lilac, rich lilac, and so on.
Key Differences between Lavender and Lilac
- Lavender and lilac are names of flowers that are also used to indicate very similar shades of light purple.
- Lavender is a pale purple color, whereas lilac is a pale purple color in which a dash of pink has been added.
- Lilac smells like rose with the traces of vanilla. It has a very strong aroma. Lavender has a unique aroma, clean and fresh, somewhat floral.
- Lilac basically implies youthfulness, immaturity and superficiality. It is enthusiastic and extroverted, inspiring romance, glamour and vanity. Lavender is tagged with vulnerability and sensitivity, mostly attracted to beautiful things in life.
- Lilac is usually poisonous in nature and cannot be consumed orally. Lavender is used to make claming tea, talc, perfumes, room sprays, salad dressing, massaging oils, and etc.
- Lilac is a shrub mostly known as the Harbinger of springs, because the blooming of flowers indicates the starting of the spring season, thereby invoking the emotions of love. Lavender is a tough semi shrub plant with flowers that bloom for a long period of time. Usually, they are found during the sunny season.
- Lavender flowers grow in whorls, held on spikes rising above the foliage. Lilac flowers grow in large panicles.
- Lavender has a strong aroma and this smell is similar to rose with traces of vanilla. Lilac has a unique, clean and fresh aroma.