Bunchberry vs Lewis Mock Orange - TreeTime.ca

Bunchberry vs Lewis Mock Orange

Philadelphus lewisii

Cornus canadensis

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Lewis Mock Orange
Bunchberry

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.

The Bunchberry, or Quatre-Temps as it is commonly known in Quebec, is an excellent ornamental plant to have in your garden. With star-shaped white flowers in spring and clusters of bright red berries in the fall, this is one of the most refined and hardy groundcovers available. The foliage has ornamental value, with leaves going from a deep green in the spring and summer to a beautiful brick-red in the fall.

Bunchberry is a spreading evergreen perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. This plant is not well suited for urban areas close to streetsides, as it is quite intolerant to pollution. It is Canada’s national flower.

According to a poll done by the Master Gardeners of Ontario, it is one of the most recognizable Canadian flowers.

Its flowers grow with elastic petals and "fire" its pollen with the force of 2000-3000 times the force of gravity.

Lewis Mock Orange Quick Facts

Bunchberry Quick Facts

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Zone: 4a
Zone: 1b
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 0.2 m (0.6 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: any
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: upright to arching, multi-stemmed
Spreading: suckering - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: medium


Fall colour: brick red
Flowers: fragrant, white
Flowers: white
Bloom time: mid spring to early summer
Berries: small, red
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: August/September
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


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