Syringa emodi 'Aurea' (syn. var. aurea) (ex: Jonathan Lehrer) - This is a very rare form of Himalayan Lilac which had been offered by Arbor Village before they closed their doors. (Lanny, we still miss you.) Bright yellow leaves on a large, rounded shrub become light, bright green as the summer progresses. Spring flowers are purportedly white - we have not seen it in flower as of yet. The fragrance is described as "musky". Bark is loaded with lenticels, branchlets become fissured and as they age develop an almost fishnet-like look. This could make a good contrasting counterpart in a mixed shrub border, a hedgerow and should certainly be of interest to breeders, collectors and arboretums. The gold leaf form is of unknown origin but the species was first collected in Western Himalayas near Afghanistan. Full to mostly sunny siting planted in fertile, moisture-retentive soil. Cutting grown.