Welcome back, You are welcome to come to our Swap Sat. at Oak Mt State Park. I think there is a swap closer to you. I can't help you on growing in your area, but some of the other live near you. I have 6 lilacs in the ground now, they made it all this crazy winter and look good. There is only a few lilacs that will make it here. The ones I have are Wonderblue., but there are others. Just be sure to read the tags or talk to gardeners.

Yes, Nelson, that does help and I thank you. I had assumed it was a wildflower because I'd been seeing something very similar in a ditch near my place of work. But now it looks like maybe those are something that escaped a garden :) This little plant seems to be very happy in what is really no more than sand over rocks.

Sorry I didn't respond til now, I was going there this past weekend and wanted to make sure my response is right. Leaves are still on and show no signs of turning more purple. I haven't identified it yet. Nothing in any of the pictures matches just right. Either the leaves don't match, or the bark on the larger ones don't match. maybe it isn't native, as I'm looking through native plant books/sites. I'll keep an eye on it to see if it produces any flowers, I don't remember any last year though. I do have another tree that I'll post pictures of when it does flower in the spring, I haven't been able to id it either. Ron

All we're getting here lately are "Tankers", nectaring up on whatever they can for the long trip South. No ELFs, the Milkweed is now too tough to eat and in seed mode. They are mostly on my Tithonias and Buddhlea; before it was all about the Liatris lingulistylis. I have just recently released 11 fifth instar BST cats onto outdoor carrot plants and the last one is due to crawl off any time now:)