Labrador Tea vs Lewis Mock Orange - TreeTime.ca

Labrador Tea vs Lewis Mock Orange

Rhododendron groenlandicum (Ledum groenlandicum)

Philadelphus lewisii

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Labrador Tea
Lewis Mock Orange

Labrador Tea is slow-growing evergreen shrub native to the boreal forests of Canada.

It thrives in wet, swampy conditions.

Labrador Tea has narrow, leathery, dark green leaves, topped by a cluster of white flowers in the spring. It is a perfect ornamental shrub for boggy, wet areas of your property.

Lewis Mock Orange is a flowering ornamental shrub that produces an abundance of white, fragrant blooms. The flowers have a sweet scent similar to orange blossoms, with a hint of pineapple. They bloom for several weeks from late spring to early summer, attracting pollinators and other beneficial insects.

Native to North America, Lewis Mock Orange is found from the southernmost portions of Alberta and British Columbia, and south into the northwestern United States. It makes an attractive shrub and can be used in hedgerows, pollinator gardens, and naturalization projects. Blooms occur on the previous year’s wood, so it is recommended to prune after it has finished flowering.

Labrador Tea Quick Facts

Lewis Mock Orange Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 4a
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Light: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: any
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to arching, multi-stemmed
Spreading: suckering - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: none

Toxicity: slightly toxic if ingested

Foliage: leathery, orange undersides, evergreen
Fall colour: rust orange
Flowers: white, fragrant
Flowers: fragrant, white
Bloom time: mid spring to early summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: california mock orange, lewis mockorange, western mock orange, western syringa, wild mock orange