Well, about the only thing I can say with any assurance about the Bloomerang, is that it is new, very pricey, and like all "new, Improved, absolutelywonderfulyougottahaveit plants" - we won't really know much about how it really performs for a few more years.

Brian

I just read an interesting article about remontant lilacs. If Bloomerang does indeed have a pleasing fragrance, it gets my vote hands down!

Here is a link that might be useful: Lilac Controversy?

Thank you Prairiegirl I was leaning towards the Josee but I am pretty sure I will go with the Bloomerang after reading your link. Thank you very much!

I mail-ordered a Josee last fall and got a tiny 4-inch plant (in a 4-inch pot). It looked healthy, but died over the winter despite being well protected.

Just yesterday, I got my hands on a Bloomerang at a local garden center. The plant is by Proven Winners and they arrived in the last week (I know this because I've been going to the garden center every week in search of this bush!) This bush is about 1-foot high and came in a 3-gallon pot, so I have much higher hopes for its survival. I highly recommend getting a plant from a local nursery rather than mail-ordering it. You'll pay more, but you'll also get a bigger plant.

The flowers are a lovely light purple color and the fragrance is pleasing and exactly what I would expect from a lilac.

Of course, I can't say how well it reblooms, but I'm looking forward to finding out!

I got a tiny bloomerang last fall. Only about 1ft tall. It wintered well at -35 to -40 with just the roots mulched. Snow covered the rest. Now it is already covered in buds ready to open. And it still is very tiny. This summer will give it a good chance to grow.

Our Home Depot just got in the Proven Winner Boomerang 1 gal for $20. It smelled better than Miss Kim. Miss Kim has a powdery scent to me & I always want to sneeze after smelling it. My sister loved the scent, so she bought it. So I prune Miss Kim for her, now to get Boomerang to rebloom, I'll have to prune this one for her too. Hey more work for me!

If Bloomerang is indeed remontant, does that mean that it blooms on new wood? If so, does that mean it needs no chill to flower? What is the reason for labeling it zone 7? What problems will it encounter further south? I have a S. Pocahontas (5' high) and S. Miss Kim (S. patula)(4' high) that grew well for me last summer and flowered this spring. Should I try Bloomerang?

Bloomerang is almost impossible to get in some markets. I know people can get the 4 inch qtr pot or even the 1 gallon plants for a hefty price (slightly under 20 for the qtr pot and slightly over 20 for the 1 gallon plants)via mail order. But it takes a real real real effort to locate any 3-gal size plants. I have seen bloomerang in blooms in Oct in one of the flower shows and boom (2-gal pot). The vendor sold everything he had (about 10 2-gal, 30 1-gal and maybe 100 qtr pots) within the 1st hour of the show. It was truly an incredible plant if it indeeds bloom in May, July and Oct as indicated. I am lucky enough to locate a 3-gal plant earlier this season (after searching hi and lo across five different states in the NE and practically on my knees begging a wholesale grower to sell me one). This plant is beginning to bloom now, smell is great, more fragrant than Josee or Miss Kim. Will see if it will repeat in July and October. The grower told me the demand of this plant is unreal. Much higher than anything he could recall in recent yrs. The launch of bloomerang reminds this old timer the launch of endless summer hydrangea a few yrs back. The grower told me all his 2010, 2011 stock were booked to various retailers on back orders. If anyone can find this plant in homedepot or lowes, get one and baby it in a pot if it is a tiny baby plant (qtr pot or 1 gallon size). overwinter the baby with care and transplant the plant into the soil next season when it has a better a root system. Trust me, when i saw this lilac bloomed in Oct, my jaws felt and so were hundreds of folks went to the flower show. If there is one new plant on any collectors must have list, this one would be it...the other notable mention would be the Pink Anabelle hydrangea - invincible spirit..or the compact Buddleia - Miss Ruby.

Our Local Nursery has the Bloomerang for $40 in a 3 gallon and $16 for a pint cup. I am buying the pint cup. But I am springing for $40 on the Invincibelle 3 gallon.

I have 'Josee', and it did rebloom last year. 'Bloomerang' seems nice enough, but I want rebloom with the traditional vulgaris-style blooms and foliage.

People who complain about over hybridizing can chuck out all of their reblooming roses, non-species daffs, etc, unless the process has led to ill health in the plant. The reason why some reblooming plants, like the 'Stella d'Oro' daylily, are so tiresome is that they are ugly and would stink just as much as once bloomers,
IMO.

Alia how many times did your Josee rebloom?? Just once??

Hydrangeasnohio, man I am jealous, you are lucky to have the local nurseryman carries the 3-gal bloomerang plants...here in Jersey, nada...goto New York 2-4 hrs out, maybe some one gal-plants...have to get to Maine, Mass, or Pittsburgh to get some 3-gal samples if I am lucky...I think it is related to the distribution of the wholesalers...the MidWest - Ohio, MO, IL - and the New England States seem to have the larger size plants than available for the rest of the country..

I have both Josee and Bloomerang now in the garden, next to each other and see how they compare...my Josee bloomed 3 times last yr, and similar to the yr before...May is the primary, then July/Aug, then Oct...the later rounds are pretty sporadic...not exactly cover the whole thing with blooms, but if you get a good size Josee, you can still get the decent fragrance not so far away...the blooms is more pinkish than Purple...Bloomerang is more purple for sure...

the 3-g bloomerang put out vigorous growth so far, the blooms are ok, not spectacular, bit of a let down - maybe just the age...my 5-6 yr old Josee for sure put in a heavier show this round, but it is not fair to compare an established plant vs a relatively young plant...

I think people needs to scale down the expectation on what reblooming means here...if Josee is the guide, and even with Bloomerang doing better than Josee, these reblooming lilacs will never behave like the everblooming roses or Endless Summer Hydrangeas...

I think the more appropriate comparison would be those reblooming Iris around...some yrs you get them to rebloom, some yrs dont...for Josee, the second/third rounds are sporadic, and I deadhead the 1st blooms as soon as I think they are about to turn brown - about 10 days after the 1st buds opened up...it takes some work, but it does work to get the plant to bloom again...

I have clients growing Josee like they grow Miss Kim or the Korean Dwarf...the never deadhead the blooms and they came back and asked me - duh - why the lilac not blooming again in the same yr...haha...I told them the trick, most get good results...some clients even told me once awhile the Korean Dwarf would put out some sporadic blooms in Sept if they deadhead the blooms promptly...but I have never tried that myself.

what about a McFarland lilac? I bought 3 from lowes (i think it was) 2 yrs ago and no blooming at all? any comments?

bloominggal..take a look at this link...
http://spi.8m.com//care.htm

Mr. Frank Moro is "the" expert on lilacs...follow his instructions to the tee...I never have any issues with lilac not blooming - give them plenty of sun, remember to water in summer, winter protection is minimal, and i always prune my lilac within 10 days after the blooms turned brown, then leave it alone for the rest of the growing season...as for fertilizers, i prefer high phosphate ones and once for the whole season - 10-15-10 or something like that...pretty much as carefree as one possible...no serious pest issues, no mildew as long as you get good air flow between the plants, the soil must be well drained - lilacs like moist soil, but constant wet soil will guarantee you a quick unhappy demise...McFarlane lilacs is a late bloomer, could bloom as late as June - depends on your zone - zone 5 - could be a june, mid-june bloomer...i am not familar to the age when McFarlane lilac will bloom, some lilac blooms at a very young age - Josee, Bloomerang, Korean Dwarf, Miss Kim all young bloomers...some take a few yrs to set up and bloom...the old fashion lilacs for example..

so give it time...and try to see if there are obvious deviations from what Frank Moro talks about and correct that this season..

good luck.

I've had 'Miss Kim' for years and think she smells great but I have not seen 'Josee' nor 'Bloomerang' for sale locally at all which is odd.

I have 3 Josee lilacs and have had them for about 3 years. I absolutely love them. They don't get too large and bloom their hearts out in the spring with intermittent blooms thoughout the rest of the growing season. They were quite small when I got them but once established took off quite well.

Sam's Club has re-blooming lilacs(boomerang) 1 gal. size
10.50.

I heard that 'Boomerang' is quite suceptiable to powdery mildew. Can anyone confirm or deny?

I wanted to purchase one but I ended up going with a 'Centre Glow' ninebark.

Like to bump up this thread. Anyone tried the 'Bloomerang dark purple'. Any comparisons with 'Josee'?

did anybody try to grow it in Phoenix Az?

"did anybody try to grow it in Phoenix Az?"

According to the Sunset Western Garden Book, it is not recommended. Not even the more heat tolerant species and hybrids of lilac are recommended for that area. Insufficient winter chill.