shrub
Dwarf Korean lilac 'Palibin'
Syringa meyeri 'Palibin'
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Syringa meyeri 'Palibin' is a slow-growing deciduous shrub for gardens in zones 3–7. Expect 4–5 ft of height and 5–7 ft of spread; our lists space it 5.5 ft apart. It does best in full sun to part sun with average water. Expect purple flowers in May. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the structure role: a shrub that holds the bed's shape at the back all year. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in Florida and the Gulf, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Syringa meyeri 'Palibin'
- Plant type
- Shrub, deciduous
- Hardiness zones
- 3 to 7
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Soil
- Needs good drainage; tolerates alkaline soil.
- Mature size
- 4–5 ft tall × 5–7 ft wide
- Spacing
- 5.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- May · purple
- Roles in a bed
- Structure
- Styles
- cottage, classic
- Deer resistance
- Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Lilac (Syringa) is listed non-toxic to dogs and cats by the ASPCA.
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 3-gallon pot, typically $35–$55 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat waves, so the root ball never dries out.
- Pruning
- Prune right after flowering; next year's buds form in summer.
Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings (A-D); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Dwarf Korean lilac 'Palibin', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Spike speedwell 'Royal Candles'Veronica spicata 'Royal Candles'perennial · zones 3–8
- Garden phlox 'David'Phlox paniculata 'David'perennial · zones 4–8
- Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster'Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'ornamental grass · zones 4–9
- Panicle hydrangea 'Limelight'Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'shrub · zones 3–8
- Lamb's ear 'Helen von Stein'Stachys byzantina 'Helen von Stein'perennial · zones 4–8
- Dwarf fountain grass 'Hameln'Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'ornamental grass · zones 5–9
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Dwarf Korean lilac 'Palibin': same role in the bed, passing the same rules.
- Weigela 'Wine & Roses'Weigela florida 'Alexandra'zones 4–8 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Ninebark 'Summer Wine'Physocarpus opulifolius 'Seward'zones 3–7 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Shrub rose 'Knock Out'Rosa 'Radrazz'zones 5–10 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Arrowwood viburnum 'Blue Muffin'Viburnum dentatum 'Christom'zones 3–8 · not flagged toxic to pets
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants