Manchurian Lilac
Syringa patula 'Miss Kim'
(si-RING-gah) (PAT-yoo-luh)
Oleaceae (oh-lee-AY-see-ay)
I have to admit to trying to take this picture a couple of days ago and when I wasn’t happy with the first results went back and took this picture (which still isn’t as I wanted it but not bad for running around during lunch). My ‘Miss Kim’ lilacs have been steadily improving over the years and have turned into beautiful shrubs. They require a good bit of water, I found out, and even the group I have growing in a little more than part shade is blooming this year. The ones that have more sun are flowering very heavily. They are not that great for cut flowers, because of the short stems, but they are of good size and very fragrant. I like them because they grow more compactly than most Lilacs. The foliage is for the most part disease and pest resistant and it turns fabulous colors in the fall.
This is a bud of Kalmia latifolia ‘Elf’. It is a short growing, heavy blooming cultivar of Mountain Laurel. It was a cross made by Richard Jaynes. I got to meet him at his Broken Arrow Nursery. . If you want any information about Mountain Laurel buy his book, Kalmia. It is offered at a discount on the Broken Arrow site. I got mine autographed. At the Estate we have a lot of different Mountain Laurels and I hope to get a few pictures of them to post here.
2 comments:
'Miss Kim' is a great lilac. I planted ours in too shady a location and it bloomed only very sparsely and grew only about 3 feet tall. I dug it out and planted it in a sunnier location and did it perk up. It was covered with flowers this spring and surprising didn't show any effects of the brutal transplantation. I did have the hose spray a fine mist on it for two days when I did the transplantation though.
I wanted to buy an 'Elf' Kalmia latifolia but held off until I learn more about its culture. The Kalmias we have are just hanging on and not really thriving but maybe that's the way they grow?
Ki, Kalmia culture is a PIA unless you land it in the right spot. They can be kind of finicky.
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