Not only will blooms suffer from improper watering, but the glorious leaves will also lose their shine and may wilt. Japanese Lilac (Syringa reticulata). The downside is that it may take a few years to grow back. Because of Miss Kim lilac’s small form, it makes a good choice if you’re pressed for room in your yard. The soil composition also makes a difference between a blooming and non-blooming lilac. The soil composition also makes a difference between a blooming and non-blooming lilac. Companion: PlantsBoxwood (Buxus); Maiden Grass (Miscanthus); Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia); Juniper (Juniperus); Coneflower (Echinacea). What Are the Best Ways to Pollinate Peach Trees? These lilac varieties are particular with their water supply. patula 'Miss Kim' Sku #7202. In fact, you will experience the opposite effect; this lilac needs to concentrate its energy on the youngest wood to produce larger and more fragrant blooms. You can grow both so as to improve the sequence of bloom in your landscape since they bloom at different times of the year. If your soil is in poor condition (The soil’s pH level falls below 6.5), amend the soil with a small amount of compost to improve drainage and add lime. If you are trying to limit the lilac’s size, scale it back appropriately. Blooms: late in the winter or early in the spring, Flower attributes: Flowers for Cutting, Fragrant, Showy Flowers. Miss Kim Lilac (Syringa patula). Fertilizer Use a small amount of all-purpose, balanced fertilizer during the winter, but don't fertilize in the spring or your lilac might not bloom. Leaving old branches on the Miss Kim lilac does not ensure you of a voluminous blooming season in the future. Hardy, yet performs in southern regions, with excellent powdery mildew resistance. The taxonomy of this plant is Syringa pubescens subsp. Privacy & Cookies: This website uses cookies to improve your experience. This shrub grows slowly, especially during the first three years, but eventually, it can grow to a height of 6 to 9 feet and a width of 5 to 7 feet. Check the soil regularly for moisture level. patula ‘Miss Kim.’ Unlike many other lilac varieties, this shrub can withstand U.S. “Miss Kim” usually starts to bloom three to five years after planting. It’s a good idea to prune the oldest and most damaged branches from the shrub to generate a good blooming season. Well-meaning gardeners may feed their Miss Kim lilacs with periodic fertilizers, but this variety does not respond well to excess nutrients in the soil. Genus name comes from the Greek word syrinx meaning tube or pipe in reference to the pith-filled but easily-hollowed stems of some genus plants. Here is a tip: If your lilac flower clusters are getting smaller, it’s time to prune! In fall, the dark green leaves turn a beautiful reddish purple. Unlike many other lilac varieties, this shrub can withstand U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9, making it hardy in both cool and warm climates. Be sure the area is well drained. What’s the Difference Between Lo Mein and Chow Mein? The plants tend to draw butterflies and their flowers attract hummingbirds. Miss Kim lilac’s flowers smell is strong and overly sharp to some noses, but many growers feel that the quality of the scent in inferior to that of Syringa vulgaris. Choose a site where your Miss Kim Lilac will get full sun – (at least 6 hours of sunlight daily). © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. This will help produce increased blooming next year, as well as possible reblooming in the current year. The Miss Kim Lilac is likely to succeed with just a little effort on your part regarding site preparation. Busy photosynthesizing cells in the leaves need the light for optimum flower bud growth. Specific epithet mean downy or hairy. Miss Kim lilacs add exceptional deep red fall color to the landscape. Since the brushes bloom on old wood, it’s critical to prune your Miss Kim lilac late in the winter or early in the spring right after blooming is done. Typically hardy to drought after root establishment, a Miss Kim lilac will not bloom if it receives too much or too little water. This shrub requires watering until the soil is saturated, but not puddling. Some gardeners even add some gravel to this mixture to create an even airier soil composition, preventing root rot and blooming issues. These lilac varieties are particular with their water supply. The problem with Miss Kim is she doesn’t look like what you might expect. In fact, your lilac needs to concentrate its energy on the youngest branches to produce large and more fragrant blooms. If you leave the lilac bush to grow wild, the blooms will be small or fail to grow at all. Blooming well in neutral pH soil, this shrub only needs fertilizer during the dormancy season in winter, when basic all-purpose 10-10-10 fertilizer can be sprinkled across the soil to enhance nutrient levels. Miss Kim Korean Lilac Syringa pubescens subsp. It is great for border accent or mass planting. If you choose to fertilize your lilac, it is recommended that you fertilize the shrubs in late fall to early spring to boost plant growth and again after blooming season ends to promote flower bud set for the following year. So, views on smells are subjective, just don’t buy base on that! You can even add some gravel to this mixture to create an even airier soil composition, preventing root rot and blooming issues. For those who have limited space in their gardens, planting Miss Kim lilac trees is an excellent choice. It sounds drastic, but Miss Kim Lilacs are very hardy. In addition, the foliage on Miss Kim is a heckava lot better during the summer than many lilacs including the prestons and you get the bonus of a reddish-purple leaf coloration in fall. Just be aware that overwatering lilacs can cause them to drown, therefore the need for a well-draining soil. Miss Kim Lilac is Not Blooming Watering. If your Miss Kim Lilac is old and in really bad shape, you may want to remove one-third of the oldest in year one, half of the remaining old wood in year two, and the rest of year three. It’s also great for border accent or mass planting. Another choice for old lilacs is to chop the whole thing back to around 7 or 9 inches high. So what about the drawback of Miss Kim lilac? Design Ideas: Foundation plantings, to place in the front of a border, or use as a low hedge along the drive or sidewalk. Besides, you may want to lop off the heads of flowers as soon as they have wilted. *Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. 'Miss Kim' is a compact, upright cultivar which grows 4-7' tall with a similar spread. It makes a wonderful shrub for foundation plantings and provides a great privacy screen when planted in groups. Plus they are powdery-mildew resistant. It blooms from late summer into fall, extending the season with deep purple buds that reveal clusters fragrant, lavender-blue flowers. This upright, compact lilac blooms later than others, extending the season with deep purple buds that reveal clusters of highly fragrant, lavender-blue flowers. This plant is one of the most widely grown because of its upright and compact form. Water well. It means you don’t have to wait as long for the first blooms on a newly installed specimen. Choose a site where your Miss Kim Lilac will get full sun – (at least 6 hours of sunlight daily). By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use. Miss Kim don’t like wet feet and will not bloom with too much water. Blooms will fail to appear on an overly-fertilized Miss Kim lilac. QuietHut.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Ideally, you will want to work some hummus or loam into the ground, that creates a well-drained garden for the lilac’s roots. So all in all, IMHO "Miss Kim" does have some benefits as a lilac when compared to the other Syringa species. The Miss Kim Lilac is one of the most adorable and fragrant of all Lilac bushes. She’s a lilac (Syringa patula), but not what we usually think of as a lilac.