White Fringe Tree vs Lewis Mock Orange - TreeTime.ca

White Fringe Tree vs Lewis Mock Orange

Chionanthus virginicus

Philadelphus lewisii

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

White Fringe Tree
Lewis Mock Orange

White Fringe Tree is known for its fringe-like white flowers. It can either grow as a small tree or a large multistemmed shrub. The White Fringe Tree has separate male and female plants. Both male and female flowers have white fringe-like petals, but the male flowers are longer and showier. The female flowers give way to clusters of dark blue to black berries. These berries are not edible for humans but attract birds and other wildlife.

The White Fringe Tree is tolerant of clay soils, saline soils, and air pollution but does not do well in prolonged dry conditions.

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.

White Fringe Tree Quick Facts

Lewis Mock Orange Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 4a
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
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


Flowers: fragrant, white clusters
Flowers: fragrant, white
Bloom time: mid spring to early summer
Berries: blue to black
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: american fringe tree, american fringetree, fringe tree, fringetree, north american fringe tree, white fringetree
Other Names: california mock orange, lewis mockorange, western mock orange, western syringa, wild mock orange