Miss Kim Bare Root Lilac Bush
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About Miss Kim Bare Root Lilac Bush
Syringa pubescens subsp. patula ‘Miss Kim’
Introduced: 1954 | Type: Korean/Manchurian Lilac | Hardiness: Zones 3–8
💜 Lavender-blue flowers, spicy-sweet perfume, and burgundy fall foliage—Miss Kim gives you far more than one beautiful spring moment.
Miss Kim is a beloved compact lilac with purple buds that open into fragrant lavender flowers, gradually softening toward icy blue and pale lavender as they mature. Its flowers appear a little later than traditional common lilacs, making it a wonderful choice for extending the lilac season.
The plant develops into a dense, rounded shrub with handsome dark-green foliage and excellent resistance to powdery mildew. Then autumn arrives and Miss Kim surprises you again, with leaves developing beautiful burgundy to wine-red fall color.
🌸 Flower & Garden Details
Flower Color: Lavender to icy blue from purple buds
Bloom: Single flowers in dense clusters
Fragrance: Sweet and spicy
Bloom Season: Late spring, typically later than common lilacs
Foliage: Dark green, turning burgundy-red in fall
Habit: Compact, dense and rounded
Size: Approximately 4–7 feet tall with a similar spread
Light: Full sun
Hardiness: USDA Zones 3–8
Disease Resistance: Excellent resistance to powdery mildew
Cut Flower: Excellent
Best Uses: Cutting gardens, foundations, flowering hedges, mixed borders and smaller landscapes
🇰🇷 From Korea to an American Garden Classic
Miss Kim's story begins in 1947, when American horticulturist Elwyn Meader collected lilac seed in the Pouk Han Mountains of Korea while serving as a horticulturist with the U.S. Army Military Government.
From those precious seeds, one seedling stood out for its compact habit, beautiful flowers, mildew-free foliage and remarkable burgundy fall color.
That seedling became ‘Miss Kim’, introduced by the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station in 1954.
The name wasn't intended to honor one particular person. According to the International Lilac Society, Meader named it for “any or all beautiful Misses Kim of Korea.”
It went on to become one of the world's best-known Korean lilacs and even received the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit.
💛 Why Grace Rose Farm Loves It
Miss Kim gives you three seasons instead of one.
First come those fragrant lavender-blue flowers. Then you get clean, mildew-resistant green foliage through summer. Finally, autumn transforms the leaves into shades of burgundy and wine.
We also love that Miss Kim blooms later than many Syringa vulgaris varieties. Pair it with earlier lilacs such as Beauty of Moscow, President Lincoln or Yankee Doodle and you can stretch that glorious lilac season a little longer.
And we're always in favor of more lilac season.
🌿 Growing & Care
Plant Miss Kim in full sun for the strongest flowering and best fall color. It prefers fertile, well-drained soil with consistent moisture while becoming established.
Miss Kim naturally develops a dense, attractive habit and needs relatively little pruning. If shaping is necessary, prune immediately after flowering, since the plant blooms on old wood and begins preparing the following year's flowers after its spring display.
Give it good air circulation and room to mature, then cut a few stems every spring and bring that incredible fragrance indoors.
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Bare Root Rose Season is Here!
Reserve the most beautiful, healthiest Better Bare Root™ roses for your garden. Shipping January through April, perfectly timed to your climate, each rose arrives ready to thrive. Discover the largest online selection of bare root roses, grown by America’s finest rose grower using sustainable farming practices and time-honored artistry—so every plant begins its journey with strength, beauty, and promise.
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WHAT MAKES A ROSE A BETTER BARE ROOT™?
Our bare root roses are carefully selected and prepared to give you the best start for your garden. Each rose is inspected for quality and health before shipping.
Whether you choose own root or budded roses, you'll receive premium plants that are ready to thrive in your garden.
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One-Year Grow With Grace™ Guarantee
At Grace Rose Farm®, we’re all about growing gorgeous gardens and happy hearts. That’s why we’ve got your back with our One-Year Grow With Grace™ Guarantee—because we know sometimes things just don’t go as planned in the garden. If your plant doesn’t make it within the first year, no worries—we’ll help make it right with a little store credit love 💗.