Syringa henryi 'Julia'

General Description

• Type: Deciduous shrub (loses its leaves in winter)
• Family: Oleaceae (like other lilacs)
• Origin: Horticultural hybrid (Syringa josikaea × villosa)
• Habit: Upright, fairly dense, with a naturally elegant form

📏 Height and Width

• Mature Height: 3 to 5 meters (10 to 16 feet)
• Width: 2.5 to 4 meters
  👉 Therefore taller and more "tree-like" than common lilac.

🌸 Flowering

• Color: Lilac pink to pale purple
• Flower type: Elongated panicles (less compact than French lilac)
• Fragrance: Light to moderate (less intense than Syringa vulgaris)
• Period: Late spring → early summer (a little later than traditional lilacs)

💡 Advantage: extends the lilac season in your flowerbeds.

☀️ Exposure

• Full sun recommended
• Tolerates light partial shade, but less abundant flowering

🌱 Soil

• Likes soils that are:
  • Well-drained
  • Fertile
  • Slightly alkaline to neutral

👉 Avoid overly wet soils (risk of root diseases)

❄️ Hardiness

• Zone: 2 to 7
  👉 Perfect for Quebec (zone 4-5, so no problem)

💧 Maintenance

• Watering: Moderate (drought-resistant once established)
• Pruning:
  • After flowering
  • Mainly to remove dead wood or control shape
• Fertilization:
  • Not too much nitrogen → otherwise foliage at the expense of flowers

🛡️ Diseases and Resistance

👉 Big advantage:

• Very resistant to powdery mildew compared to common lilacs
• Less susceptible to diseases in general
• Good tolerance to urban conditions

🌳 Landscape Use

• Tall flowering hedge
• Natural visual screen
• Focal point (can almost replace a small tree)
• Perfect for high-end commercial or residential projects

👍 Advantages

• More robust than classic lilacs
• Late flowering (complements other varieties well)
• Fewer diseases
• Strong structure (ideal for your type of projects)