New fall flowering shrub - "dwarf lilac"

Here's a new shrub that TPP is trying out, a so-called "dwarf lilac" (Leptodermis oblonga), but hate the common name, probably a "what shall we call this?" type of name because it isn't a lilac and it isn't even in the olive family.  So far this is a hardy, zone 5, at least with regards to cold, mounding shrub of a small size, under 2 feet.  It's October, and it's in flower when little else flowers, not awesomely showy, but pleasant enough with the 1 cm wide flowers clustered at the ends of stems.  Other than color there isn't anything very lilacy about the flowers; it's in the rue family.   Given it's size it will be in the front of beds anyways otherwise it just won't be seen at all.  It grows well enough in part shade, but TPP would recommend morning sun and afternoon shade because it wilts easily, more so than the azaleas in the same bed, so it's summer heat tolerance is a bit in question.  As it turns out this species is native to northern China so this is no surprise really, and maybe even a low alpine plant.  Alpines are quite cold hardy, but they don't do well in the summer heat of the Midwest.  So we shall see how this develops.

New landscape shrub

Yesterday, while cruising a local nursery for late season bargains, the Phactors encounter a little shrubby plant with lavender flowers, and what was pretty interesting was the TPP had never heard of it.  Didn't even know what family it was in, even with flowers, and that's unusual.  Leptodermis oblonga.  Hmm, so who do you call?  Dirr!  But this plant is not in his Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, the Bible of woody ornamentals here in eastern North America.  Not in Dirr?  So what is this thing costing $14.99 minus the late season discount.  Dwarf lilac shrub?  Olive family?  Well, it has opposite leaves, but otherwise not a good fit.  The resemblance to lilac is superficial at best, the flowers are tubular and pinkish purple. Turns out this genus is in the Rubiaceae, the coffee family.  That explains a lot because while tropical species look rubiaceous, native species for us are smallish herbs that don't look like typical rubiads really.  Now the key thing is always cold hardiness and supposedly this species comes from Northern China and hardy in zone 5, unless they lied or unless this is an alpine plant, which while cold hardy will literally burn up in our Midwestern summer heat.  Probably not an alpine from Northern China, especially as an upright little shrub, so having passed the critical tests, and having a spot for a smallish shrub, we bought one.  Anyone out there with any experience with this species?  Anyone from Northern China?