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I recently planted a Miss Kim type of lilac. The person at the nursery told me these can get up to 10' in height which is what I'm hoping for. From what I've been reading online it sounds like these max out around 8'. So can they really get to 10' if in full sun? Does anybody have one of these?
Anything's possible, and most lilacs can grow 10 feet or more, but ... Is there really that much difference between eight feet and 10 feet? Aside from two feet, of course ... Once a plant grows over my head, it's as tall as it needs to be.
I meant to say 6 feet, not 8 feet. I planted the lilacs as a privacy screen so 6 feet is not tall enough to give me the privacy I'm looking for. I need about 10 feet for sufficient blocking out of my neighbor's yard.
I meant to say 6 feet, not 8 feet. I planted the lilacs as a privacy screen so 6 feet is not tall enough to give me the privacy I'm looking for. I need about 10 feet for sufficient blocking out of my neighbor's yard.
Usually the height is given on the tags at nurseries and the person should have been better informed. Miss Kims are considered shrubby trees and the height is at best between 6 and 8 feet. The 8 feet would be if the growing conditions were optimal (best soil, drainage, lighting, fertilizer, pH and so on). It is rare for a plant or tree to exceed its normal growth pattern no matter what you do. The chances are that your lilacs will not get much over 6 feet and they will take some time to get there; they are usually listed as slow growers. There big benefit as "privacy" screening is that they often get nearly as wide as they get tall.
If you want lilacs then go back and get them exchanged for common lilacs which grow a couple of feet higher (up to about 10 feet). Here's a site for comparing them and their growth habits:
If you want lilacs then go back and get them exchanged for common lilacs which grow a couple of feet higher (up to about 10 feet). Here's a site for comparing them and their growth habits:
If you do decide to plant common lilacs, be advised that they do get leggy. They may grow to the height you want, but the lower portion will be open and not full. Not really a good privacy screen.
I wanted to say that I share a grove of the common purple lilac bushes with one neighbor. The grove is about 100 feet X 200 feet. Some of the bushes have to be close to 15 feet high or more. It was apparently an old homestead that burned down or was destroyed many years ago.
The grove is spindly - but it does not get major pruning. Every spring we collect some for inside cut flowers. I do not know if major pruning would force them to fill out?
By the way; I do not think of lilacs as fast growers.
I already have several common lilacs so I know what you mean by "leggy". I got the Miss Kim to mix things up a little. My common lilac grew from about 5' to about 10' high in a matter of 3 years! I think once established they grow pretty fast, especially since it's in full sun.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Ours have reached at least 10'. If you want them tall they will get there eventually. My problem is the opposite, they got too tall and they only bloom on the previous year's growth so pruning them means no flowers for a year. They do also tend to send up new growth from the roots in our wet climate so they become bushy, not leggy.
I have a Miss Kim lilac, bought it from the local botanical garden during the annual plant sales. It's on the 3rd year and it is only 2~3 feet tall, not exactly a fast grower.
Also, it sheds leaves early in the fall, as early as September and does not rebloom until February (for my zone 7a). If you want it for privacy screen, there are better shrubs/ trees alternatives.
But they are pretty though, especially in the spring when they bloom.
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