Hey, Hippie, Young seedlings have a tendency not to abscise "on time". Maybe for several years of their youth. Dunno why. Could be their quest for youthful freedom from adult trees' genetic dictation that "You have to shed your leaves!" (Ain't happenin', establishment! Far out, out'a sight!). Been there, done that. Personally, I never abscised. Seriously, this pic is of a 4-5 year old northern red oak in the neighbor's yard, undoubtedly a seedling from my yard's red oak as there are no other red oaks in the neighborhood. I have several red oak seedlings in the yard that this year also held their leaves over the winter, but the "momma" defoliates every year. Maybe they don't abscise because as young trees they are still trying to grow when the heavy frost hits and the abscission layer doesn't have a chance to form? I've seen this a billion times - eventually the trees, not just oaks, begin to abscise like all the others and get nekked in the fall...wait - wasn't that something that youth used to do, hippie? LOL

Karyn, I have mine beside a north window backing onto a bush. They do not get a lot of light. Neither do they grow much. Sometimes, they do flower for me though. They do get room temperature, and they tend to keep their leaves. My own thinking is that they don't like to be in the dark for 3 months like their one-toned comrades. Also I don't think they like the temperature to be as cold as their one-toned comrades tolerate. I trimmed the leaves of mine back,and let them grow new leaves suitable for their environment. I don't fertilize them at all, but do water on a regular basis. Personally, I think they make interesting house plants during the winter. I have not had trouble with mites on them at all, inside or outside. I think the fuzzier leaves has a lot to do with that.

Karyn & Karma, What a tragedy- I get upset if even one cutting croaks! To lose my whole greenhouse collection is unthinkable. And, about dormancy of cuttings- remeber, mine are only dormant for 60-75 days. And they are well rooted when I put them in the dark. It did freak me out to do it, also, and to see them turn yellow and drop their leaves- that was difficult to watch. But most of them came thru. Any special, hard-to-replace cuttings got to stay under the lights, so your thought of using an extra cutting is a great idea- then you will know if it is possible. We get ice storms here that knock out the power but have not had any for the last two years. You will see some mad scrambling if that happens this winter, as I move what I can to safety.

if you have a spot for them, plant them now. Fall is the BEST time to plant perennials. Water them in well, they'll be fine, as long as they're in good shape when you plant them. I'd prepare the hole, make it about twice as big as the pot the plants is in now. Enrich w/some peat moss or compost if avail. Add in some gravel if your soil is wet/slow to drain. Maybe a little slow-release fertilizer, go easy, you don't want to burn the roots. Here is a link that might be useful: lilac planting tips from a seller