Syringa BABY KIM®

A dwarf lilac variety, Syringa BABY KIM® is a deciduous shrub offering three seasons of interest. Small, distinctive heart-shaped leaves emerge rich green, retain their color in summer, and often turn bronze to purplish red in fall. Showy, sweetly scented flowers are arranged in dense, terminal clusters. Blooming on old wood in mid to late spring, dark purple buds open to lilac and white flowers that don't fade to white. They attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds and make lovely spring bouquets. For longer lasting cuts, choose stems that have at least three-quarters of the flowers open, harvest in the cool of morning, remove all leaves, and immediately place in fresh, cool water.

A highly versatile multi-stemmed shrub, Syringa BABY KIM® has a tidy, compact habit and a moderate to vigorous growth rate. A nice specimen, it makes a great thriller (focal point) in a container garden, but it is shown to best effect when massed or grouped in beds and borders and makes a nice screen.

Syringa BABY KIM® is long-lived and easy to grow. It prefers full sun and organically rich, well-drained soil. The plant tolerates very cold conditions and requires a period of cold weather to bloom well. It is not well-suited to warmer climates and cannot tolerate soggy, wet conditions. The plant is disease and deer resistant.

The botanical name of lilac, Syringa (suh-RIN-gah), is from the Greek word syrinx, which means tube. This is because the stems of lilac contain a spongy pith that can be removed, leaving a hollow tube that has traditionally been used to create panpipes.