Korean lilac Syringa meyeri 'Palibin'

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Missouri Botanical Garden
4344 Shaw Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63110

Phone: (314) 577-5100

Common Name: lilac
Type: Deciduous shrub
Family: Oleaceae
Zone: 3 to 7
Height: 4 to 5 feet
Spread: 5 to 7 feet
Bloom Time: April to May
Bloom Color: Pink
Bloom Description: Pale pink
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Flowers: Showy Flowers, Fragrant Flowers
Wildlife: Attracts Hummingbirds, Attracts Butterflies
Tolerates: Dry Soil, Drought, Deer
Uses: Erosion Control, Hedge
Culture

Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun. Tolerates light shade, but best bloom is in full sun. Prefers organically rich, moist, slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soils. Needs good air circulation. Good tolerance for urban conditions. Prompt removal of faded flower panicles before seed set will increase the bloom in the following year. Prune as needed immediately after flowering.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Korean lilac is a dense, rounded-oval, non-suckering, deciduous shrub which typically grows 4-8’ tall with a spread of 6-10’. ‘Palibin’ is a compact, low-spreading cultivar which typically grows 4-5’ tall with a spread of 5-7’. Pale pink, sweetly-fragrant single flowers arranged in dense, terminal clusters (panicles to 4” long) cover this shrub with a profuse bloom in late April to early May (St. Louis area). Elliptic-ovate, dark green leaves (to 1.5” long) are smaller than the species. No fall color. This shrub is sometime grafted to a 4’ standard and sold as a small tree with a dense, rounded crown. Tree form typically matures to 8’ tall.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems. This Korean lilac is extremely resistant to powdery mildew. Flower buds are susceptible to frost injury in early spring.

Garden Uses

Effective as a specimen or massed. Shrub borders, foundations. Good screen or informal hedge for property lines. Korean lilacs are generally more attractive than many other species of lilacs in summer due to their mildew-free foliage.