Syringa x hyacinthiflora Esther Staley - Hyacinth-flowered Lilac

Syringa x hyacinthiflora 'Esther Staley' is a vigorous and remarkably floriferous hybrid lilac or hyacinth-flowered lilac, which forms numerous highly fragrant clusters of pink-lilac flowers that emerge from reddish buds. This deciduous bush is also notable for its vigour and cold resistance. It is bushy and even suckering, and it blooms earlier than classic lilacs, for a month. Its young shoots are tinged with bronze and its foliage takes on a beautiful autumnal, golden to bronze colours. It makes an excellent flowering hedge plant and can also be placed individually near the house to enjoy its abundant flowering.

Hyacinth-flowered lilacs result from the hybridisation of Syringa oblata, a pretty little Chinese lilac with early flowering, highly fragrant and superb autumn foliage, and S.vulgaris, the common lilac that is more familiar to us. The first of these hybrids was produced in France at the hands of Victor Lemoine, and then developed in California, from where there are some very beautiful varieties still available, including 'Esther Staley', born in 1948. All these plants belong to the olive family.

Lilac 'Esther Staley' forms an upright, branching bush, almost as wide as it is tall, and suckering. Ultimately, around the age of 20, it reaches a height of between 2.50 m and 4 m with a roughly equivalent spread. Its growth is quite rapid, encouraged by rich and moist soil. This variety blooms abundantly in April-May, 7 to 10 days before common lilacs, in the form of highly fragrant, pyramidal, 10 to 20 cm long panicles of small single, pink-lilac flowers, reddish-pink in bud. These inflorescences are grouped in clusters at the ends of the previous year's shoots. The flowering attracts many butterflies. The foliage is deciduous, appearing bronze in spring, turning green in summer, and then yellow to bronze in autumn before falling.

For their perfume, flowering and childhood memories, everyone loves charming and unpretentious lilacs. Syringa 'Esther Staley' is no exception to the rule. It is easy to grow in moist soil, even in cold regions, and very vigorous, embodying the charm and simplicity of old gardens. Its flowers are essential for creating a scented garden with hawthorns, laburnums, and ornamental apple trees. It can be planted on the edge of a grove, in groups, individually, or as an informal hedge mixed with other species (flowering cherries, Chinese almond, Japanese quinces, viburnums...). Its beautiful and highly fragrant clusters are appreciated in spring bouquets, alongside the first garden irises, bellflowers, and florist's ranunculus.