Spicebush vs Lewis Mock Orange - TreeTime.ca

Spicebush vs Lewis Mock Orange

Lindera benzoin

Philadelphus lewisii

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

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(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Spicebush
Lewis Mock Orange

The Spicebush is an unique ornamental shrub that blooms with vibrant yellow flowers and bright green foliage. The foliage goes from green to yellow in the autumn, adding fall interest to your garden.The plant is dioecious, meaning that you will need male and female plants in order to harvest it’s red berries. Berries are only produced on female plants. The berries themselves aren’t that sweet, and are mostly enjoyed by birds and other wildlife.

The Spicebush, also commonly known as Common Spicebush, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice, and Benjamin Bush, is named after its distinctive spicy-sweet fragrance that comes from the flowers.

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.

Spicebush Quick Facts

Lewis Mock Orange Quick Facts

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


Foliage: fragrant
Flowers: greenish yellow
Flowers: fragrant, white
Bloom time: mid spring to early summer
Berries: red
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: ON
Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: benjamin bush, common spicebush, northern spicebush, wild allspice
Other Names: california mock orange, lewis mockorange, western mock orange, western syringa, wild mock orange