Hi - I've been thinking about planting a lilac syringa meyeri in my garden, but most plant descriptions I've read give it a hardiness rating of 3-7 and I understand that Vancouver is zone 8. Does this mean that it is impossible to grow this plant here? If so, could anyone suggest an alternative compact, fragrant shrub for a full sun location? Thanks!
Katia several cultivars of syringa meyeri are available in the Vancouver area as both a bush and a standard tree form. The zone 8 for vancouver is a general area that is based over a large geographical land mass. some areas will only be a zone 7 some like ambleside in west vancouver may be a high zone 8 if you are near the water. Garden centers will sell Syringa meyeri ‘Palibin’ Pallibin Dwarf Korean Lilac which is often rated as Zone 3–7. IT requires full sun and should be Ok for the general vancouver area. buy the plant from a specialty gardencentre where they have staff that can suggest alternatives. other than that for a compact area in full sun try Daphne odora which needs Sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil; needs excellent drainage pierrot
Should be no problem growing it at all. The zone 7 upper limit is probably based on an intolerance of the excessive summer heat in zone 8 in the eastern USA. It grows well in Britain (zone 8/9) where (like Vancouver) the summers are not so hot and steamy.
