Silverberry (Wolf Willow) vs Lewis Mock Orange - TreeTime.ca

Silverberry (Wolf Willow) vs Lewis Mock Orange

Elaeagnus commutata

Philadelphus lewisii

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Silverberry (Wolf Willow)
Lewis Mock Orange

Silverberry (also known as Wolf Willow) is a common native North American shrub. This beautiful ornamental plant has characteristic silver leaves and fragrant yellow flowers.

Its silver berries remain on the branches through the winter. Silverberry is cold hardy and has some ability as a nitrogen fixer. It can grow on dry to moist sandy/gravel soils. This plant is very low maintenance.

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.

Silverberry (Wolf Willow) Quick Facts

Lewis Mock Orange Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 4a
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to arching, multi-stemmed
Spreading: suckering - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: high


Foliage: silvery leaves
Flowers: yellow
Flowers: fragrant, white
Bloom time: mid spring to early summer
Berries: silver, edible
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, YT, NT, NU
Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: american silverberry, silver berry, wolf willow
Other Names: california mock orange, lewis mockorange, western mock orange, western syringa, wild mock orange