PLANT LIBRARY

Other Names:  Dwarf Lilac

Brand:  Proven Winners

Description:

A dwarf hybrid selection that's just the right size for the garden; a small, rounded shrub producing an abundance of sweetly fragrant purple flowers in mid to late spring; blooms retain color well; perfect along walkways, under windows, or as a low hedge

Ornamental Features

Baby Kim® Lilac is blanketed in stunning panicles of fragrant lavender flowers at the ends of the branches from mid to late spring, which emerge from distinctive purple flower buds. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has green deciduous foliage. The small pointy leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color.

Landscape Attributes

Baby Kim® Lilac is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Baby Kim® Lilac is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Baby Kim® Lilac will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 30 inches apart. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. This plant will benefit from an application of bonemeal and/or mycorrhizal fertilizer at the time of planting. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Baby Kim® Lilac makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.