Dwarf Korean Lilac...a Perfect Compact Size for any Garden Flowerbed

And even though white lilacs draped over my mother's arms as she wed my father, and my grandmother lovingly cared for many lilac trees back home in her Prussian gardens, I never cared to grow one until now.

How To Grow the Dwarf Korean Lilac

I now have a change of heart. I have planted a Dwarf Korean Lilac. Most lilacs require a little 'tender loving care' in order for them to stave off that haggard look, but with the dwarf variety, the work is minimal...in fact encouraged.

Pruning the Dwarf Korean Lilac

I snip off the spent blooms in the spring once the flowering is completed and before the spent blooms go to seed. Lilacs of all kinds look better in a rounded form so don't prune by giving your lilac a 'buzz' flat top cut. If pruned too heavily, the shrub will stop blooming. So, don't prune with hedge trimmers. Lightly prune and shape by hand.

One more comment about pruning lilacs. Because Lilacs flower on old wood, prune off only the spent bloom. Also, try not to prune the new wood/growth too much. You will be cutting away the future budding opportunities.

In 2008 not too much happened in terms of blooming for my Dwarf Korean Lilac shrub. In 2009, the garden shrub grew to twice its size and had a few blooms. For 2010, I am ready to watch the reddish purple flower buds open to pink purple powerfully fragrant flowers.

This dwarf shrub should really be planted in full sun (or else less blooming). Mine is planted in my middle island garden beside my JP Connel Rose, which receives full sun all day. Even though the Korean Lilac requires full sun, it also requires more water than the traditional lilac. Don't let it dry out should your area suffer a drought period. Once the shrub dries out, the leaves fall.

Another tip: I read in an article from Jim Hole (Hole's Gardening just outside of Edmonton, Alberta) that you should not mulch around this plant. It will encourage it to sucker.(by the way, the above photo is courtesy of Jim Hole)

This Korean Lilac will impress me...I know it. I can already envision calling myself a Lilac Lover just like my mother and my Oma.

Companion plants: Oriental Lily Mona Lisa, Phlox David, Phlox Rubymine, Dusty Miller or the groundcover Sedum Kamschatka.

Check out my Site Index Page for a listing of additional annuals and perennials to plant in your flower garden design.

Korean Lilac Features

• stays compact, dense bush
• grows 4' to 5' tall
• resistant to powdery mildew
• dark green foliage
• fragrant lavender flowers
• blooms in May-June. In our Zone 3, it will bloom in mid to late June
• blooms on old wood
• makes a great hedge, albeit do not prune heavily
• will re-bloom later in summer or early fall
• foliage turns yellow in autumn
• use a slow-release fertilizer
• add bone meal, blood meal
• for best results, plant in early spring
• at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day
• prune/deadhead the spent blooms to encourage more blooms the following year
• water well until established

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