Syringa velutina Josée - Lilac

This Chinese Lilac, the 'Josée' Syringa, is a small, fragrant and very floriferous hybrid which flowers again in late summer. Its appearance is similar to that of Syringa microphylla. All these qualities make it a perfect candidate for small gardens. The bushy shrub produces beautiful clusters of a bright pinkish-lilac colour in fading buds when fully bloomed, which give off an authentic lilac fragrance. It blooms in early spring and again sporadically in late summer or early autumn. This variety also looks good in a small flowering hedge, planted in groups, or even isolated near the house to enjoy its wonderfully fragrant and abundant flowering.

The 'Josée' lilac is a French horticultural creation dating back to 1971, thanks to Georges Morel, an INRA engineer, specialist, and pioneer in in-vitro culture. It is the result of the hybridisation of Syringa velutina, microphylla, and meyeri. All these plants belong to the olive family.

The silhouette forms a rounded, compact, and ramified bush, almost as wide as it is tall. When mature, it will not exceed 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in height with a spread of 1.75 m (5 ft 8 in). Its growth is relatively slow, encouraged by rich and moist soil. This variety blooms abundantly in April-May, a few days before common lilacs, in the form of very fragrant pyramidal panicles,  10 to 14 cm (3.9 to 5.5 in) long, composed of small single flowers, light pink-lilac in colour, and rose-purple buds. These inflorescences are grouped in bouquets at the tips of the previous year's shoots, and again in late summer or early autumn, with the current year's branches producing a few inflorescences. This flowering attracts many butterflies and pollinating insects. Its deciduous foliage, composed of small leaves 3 to 4 cm (1.2 to 1.6 in) long, turns a beautiful yellow colour in autumn.

Whether in flowers, for use in perfume, as part of childhood memories, or even as symbols of significant events, everyone has a good reason to love lilacs, as endearing as they are unpretentious. The 'Josée' Lilac is no exception:  hardy, easy to grow in ordinary but well-drained soil, even in cold or dry regions, vigourous and undemanding, it embodies the charm and simplicity inherent to old gardens. It is a major element in the creation of scented gardens, even those of a small size, with its flowering accompanying that of laburnums and pink or white brooms. It can be planted on the edge of a grove, in groups, isolated, or as a free hedge mixed with other species (flowering apple trees, Japanese cherry trees, Chinese almond trees, Japanese quinces, Deutzias, etc.). Its highly fragrant clusters are appreciated in spring bouquets, along with the first garden irises, early peonies, bellflowers, and florist's ranunculus.