Other Names:  California Lilac

Description:

A bushy, erect shrub with dark green glossy foliage on burgundy-red stems; beautiful light blue flower clusters add color in the late spring; perfect for screening and spring color along borders; needs weekly watering, or more often in extreme heat

Ornamental Features

Gloire de Varsailles New Jersey Tea is bathed in stunning cymes of silvery blue star-shaped flowers along the branches from late spring to mid summer. It has attractive dark green evergreen foliage. The large glossy oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter. The burgundy branches are extremely showy and add significant winter interest.

Landscape Attributes

Gloire de Varsailles New Jersey Tea is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spreading

Gloire de Varsailles New Jersey Tea is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover

Planting & Growing

Gloire de Varsailles New Jersey Tea will grow to be about 8 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average conditions that are neither too wet nor too dry, and is very intolerant of standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.