Mock Orange vs Prairie Crocus - TreeTime.ca

Mock Orange vs Prairie Crocus

Pulsatilla nuttalliana (Anemone patens)

Philadelphus coronarius

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Prairie Crocus
Mock Orange

Prairie Crocus is a native perennial wildflower that is often considered one of the first signs of spring. The flowers can range from purple, pale blue, to white and often appear before the snow has fully melted. It can bloom a month earlier than other spring flowers, providing an early source of pollen for a variety of pollinators.

The plant is covered in woolly white hairs, including the finely divided leaves, giving them a silvery appearance. Prairie Crocus leaves do not fully emerge until after it has bloomed. The spent blooms transform into fluffy, feathery seed heads. During the hot summer months, the Prairie Crocus goes dormant and will repeat its life cycle the following spring.

The Prairie Crocus is Manitoba’s provincial flower.

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.

Prairie Crocus Quick Facts

Mock Orange Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 4a
Height: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Height: 3 m (11 ft)
Spread: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Spread: 3 m (11 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: any
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, clump-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium, rhizomes - low
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium

Toxicity: all parts toxic if eaten, sap can irritate skin

Foliage: fuzzy, finely divided leaves
Flowers: pale purple, cup-shaped
Flowers: large, white
Bloom time: early spring
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, YT, NT, NU
Other Names: american pasqueflower, crocus anemone, pasqueflower, prairie pasqueflower, prairie smoke
Other Names: english dogwood