Lottah Nursery Tasmania, Australia
Syn. RF1
Raised by Richard Fenicchia from open pollinated 'Rochester' in 1964 and introduced in 1988 with cultivar name being registered in 1996.
Florets are single white with some radial doubling, in erect trusses of average size and of medium fragrance.
This cultivar is not given a rating* in Fiala's book because it was introduced after that book was published. In our opinion 'Independence' is comparable to 'Flora' which is rated as amongst the best of single whites.
Reported to be smaller than typical of the species, it is expected to grow into a suckering shrub 2.5 x 2m.
*2006/06/05 - we have now established from the Lilac Registrar - who is currently revising Fiala's book for the next edition - that 'Seedling #1' on Plate 79 is 'Independence'; it is rated as 'outstanding'.
(more details may be found in article by F. Vrugtman, Hortscience 32(4):588[1997]; click on thumbnail for larger image)
60410-5295 (2, 9, 34, 106)