'Independence' is very hardy, with a nice, well-branched plant habit. Clear, pink flowers bloom in late June to early July. The foliage is a dark green and the stems are very reddish, especially in the fall.

This plant originated from a chance seedling at Kelsey Highland Nursery in Boxford, Massachusetts. Seth Kelsey gave Roger Coggeshall (current parter of Syringa Plus) this plant in 1958 when Kelsey Nursery went out of business. He felt it was worth propagating. Roger propagated it and grew it for years at Cherry Hill Nurseries in West Newbury, Mass. He gave plants away to many customers, trying to get it out into the trade.

Among those customers was Summer Hill Nurseries in Connecticut. Mike Johnson, the owner, grew it for years in his arboretum. He had so many inquiries about this plant that he asked Roger if he could name it. Roger said yes and he named it ‘Independence,’ as it is still in bloom on July 4th.