PlantFiles: Manchurian Lilac
Syringa pubescens subsp. patula 'Miss Kim'

I am interested in planting a syriga miss kim (small lilac) in a very large tub located on a sunny patio. I understand I will need to keep the plant roots well drained. I would also prune the plant each year to keep it's height below 4 feet. Has this been attempted by others? It is likely to be successful?

Yes the spring bloom is quite amazing, and the fragrance is overwhelming.My favorite is the fall color on these little warriors! They could go toe to toe with any fall purple ash or red maple in my book.

They won't bloom here without a decent amount of sun. We have a bunch planted under a second floor deck that were there when we moved in, and most of them never bloom. But they are tough! Some of them heaved out of the ground over the winter. I still have one of them, so bad I picked it up out of the ground with my bare hands. The parts of it that didn't die off are still growing, as it's sitting on it's little rootball, watered only by the rain. It looks like it wants to bloom! And the one that had been behind it simply exploded once it got some light. It's covered in flowers.

According to all of the advertising, the leaves are supposed to turn red in the Fall. The leaves on my four "Miss Kim" lilacs always drop off in the heat of the Shenandoah Valley summers, so I just have bare branches in the Fall. They look pretty in the Spring and early summer though.

I have two 'Miss Kim' Lilacs that I planted a few years ago. I love when they are in bloom! They are very fragrant and wonderful! A joy to have in the the yard!

Hopefully, I will get some pics this year and post them.

This really seems to be the toughest of the lilac I have. The flowers are a little less than the Palliban. The growth is fairly compact.

We have had five Miss Kim lilacs growing in a waterfowl enclosure for about 7 years. They formed a nice shelter area about 5-6' tall and bloom every year.

The bloom panicles start out pinkish blue in color and gradually turn more bluish-lavender as they open. The fragrance is lovely, typical lilac, and the blooms are fairly long lasting. They do go brown as they fade unless deadheaded. It is easy to keep these shrubs looking neat because they are not overly large.

In my experience they are disease and pest resistant. Praying mantises seem to favor them and there are always many egg cases left behind every fall.

If they do not get sufficient water the plants will sacrifice their blooms, so it is a good idea to monitor them during droughts.

Because they are late bloomers frost is seldom a problem.

Use as a cut flower is limited due to the small stature of these shrubs. The panicles are large but the stems are short. It is better to just enjoy them on the plant.