It's been so long I can't remember if it was a shoot, a cutting or a whip... But it's lilac of a kind we don't have much around here, a burgundy-purpulish kind, which I'd like to save... but if most of you tell me otherwise, well...

It was put in the ground, full sun, facing south, over four years ago. It got knocked down three winters in a row by the snow guy, so I never thought necessary to prune it, uh... but I did control underground shoots a little, to try and get thicker, stronger remaining stems.

It is now four finger size stems, 3' high, that never seems to what to expand out in no way.

To top it all off, it got the milky mildew disease this year (having cared for much larger lilac I would know how to take care of this - racking leaves, milk solution, etc.)

But am I dreaming in thinking I can eventually save this lilac and get somekind of bush out of it ? If not... how would I go about getting it's full potential out ?

Thankx a million