Mock Orange vs Small Cranberry - TreeTime.ca

Mock Orange vs Small Cranberry

Philadelphus coronarius

Vaccinium oxycoccos

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Mock Orange
Small Cranberry

Mock Orange is an ornamental shrub known for its fragrant, white flowers. The scent is often described as orange-like with a hint of jasmine. Attractive to pollinators, hummingbirds, and humans alike.

Mock Orange is highly versatile, and can be used as an ornamental shrub, either alone or as a hedge. It is well suited for streambank stabilization and riparian zone restoration, due to its ability to grow in low, moist areas as well as those that are high and dry. Lewis Mock Orange also has the capability of being used in soil bioengineering projects such as live staking.

Small Cranberry is a native evergreen groundcover found in bogs, fens, and wet meadows. It produces delicate pink flowers that attract a variety of pollinators, including bees, and it serves as both a nectar source and host plant for the Bog Fritillary (Boloria eunomia) butterfly. By late summer, the plant bears deep red berries that are eaten by both wildlife and people. With their high pectin content, the berries are well-suited for making jams and jellies.

Often creeping among sphagnum moss, Small Cranberry thrives in cold, acidic, and nutrient-poor soils (pH 2.9–4.7), making it well adapted to northern wetland environments. With its woody stems, it is technically classified as a shrub and often described as a subshrub or dwarf shrub. It is also valuable for wetland restoration and naturalisation projects.

Note: We use Small Cranberry for Vaccinium oxycoccos. This species is also known by many other common names, including Bog Cranberry, Small Bog Cranberry, and others. Please confirm the scientific name to ensure you are ordering the correct plant.

Mock Orange Quick Facts

Small Cranberry Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 1b
Height: 3 m (11 ft)
Height: 0.1 m (0.2 ft)
Spread: 3 m (11 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: any
Moisture: any
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: creeping, ground cover
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, layering - medium
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: small, leathery, evergreen
Flowers: large, white
Flowers: pink, nodding with reflexed petals
Bloom time: late spring to early summer
Berries: small red cranberries, edible
Flavor: tart
Harvest: late summer to fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: english dogwood
Other Names: marshberry, small bog cranberry, swamp cranberry