Smooth Sumac vs Lewis Mock Orange - TreeTime.ca

Smooth Sumac vs Lewis Mock Orange

Rhus glabra

Philadelphus lewisii

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Smooth Sumac
Lewis Mock Orange

Smooth Sumac is an excellent shrub for both its ornamental appeal and tolerance of difficult planting sites. You'll love the attractive pyramidal spikes of hairy, red berries that emerge on female plants and the fern-like foliage that covers both male and female varieties.

Ensure you give Smooth Sumac enough space to spread out due to its high suckering nature. While not ideal for small, urban yards, this shrub will make a stunning border along a woodland edge or roadside.

Note:These plants typically reach maturity and make their sex easily known (females producing fruit) in their 3rd or 4th year of growth. Our seedlings are too young to identify their sex.

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.

Smooth Sumac Quick Facts

Lewis Mock Orange Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 4a
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 2.1 m (7 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: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to arching, multi-stemmed
Spreading: suckering - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: long, thin
Fall colour: scarlet red
Flowers: fragrant, white
Bloom time: mid spring to early summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: BC, SK, MB, ON
Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: california mock orange, lewis mockorange, western mock orange, western syringa, wild mock orange