Philadelphus Lewisii Blizzard
Philadelphus lewisii ‘Blizzard’ (Blizzard mockorange) is a compact and hardy shrub that blooms reliably in part shade and a cold climate. It produces loads of pretty flowers every year, with a delicious scent. ‘Blizzard’ is my favourite shrub for the shade in a northern climate.
Philadelphus lewisii 'Blizzard' mockorange flowers
‘Blizzard’ is a more dwarf shrub than the standard mockorange, with a better shape. Philadelphus virginalis (mockorange) can have a rangy habit, with long branches sticking out at angles. However, Philadelphus lewisii ‘Blizzard’ has more of a rounded shape, with a compact form and good branching. This makes for an attractive looking shrub, even when it is not blooming. The smaller size, about 1.2 m (4 feet) tall and wide, makes it easy to fit into a mixed garden bed.
Philadelphus lewisii 'Blizzard' mockorange flower closeup
However, ‘Blizzard’ mockorange really earns its space in the garden in early summer when the snowy flowers cover it. The pure white blossoms are gorgeous, with four simple petals, and a cluster of golden anthers in the middle. ‘Blizzard’ has been a very reliable bloomer for me. This hardy shrub flowers every year, even after a cold winter, or late spring frosts and snow.
Philadelphus lewisii 'Blizzard' mockorange white flowers
In the photo above, you can see how the mockorange flowers are clustered at the end of every small lateral branch. The shrub is bejewelled with the beautiful blooms, for almost three weeks.
Philadelphus lewisii 'Blizzard' mockorange flower cluster
The mockorange scent is wonderful, and one shrub manages to perfume my patio when all of the blooms are fully open. The fragrance is the icing on the cake for the pretty blooms. My Philadelphus flowers from the end of June to the middle of July in zone 3. The lilacs have finished by then, so this is a good successive shrub for delightful garden scent.
Philadelphus lewisii 'Blizzard' mockorange shrub overall
This is one of the few northern shrubs that you can depend on to give a good flower display in the shade. Mine is sited to get some early morning sun for less than a couple of hours, yet it puts out a full set of blooms.
I highly recommend Philadelphus lewisii ‘Blizzard’ for its reliable blooming in a northern climate, shade tolerance, attractive shape and lovely fragrance. You can read more information and see more photos about this mockorange in this post from last year.
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- Philadelphus lewisii ‘Blizzard’ mockorange white petals
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- Philadelphus lewisii ‘Blizzard’ mockorange white flowers
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- Philadelphus lewisii ‘Blizzard’ mockorange shrub overall
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- Philadelphus lewisii ‘Blizzard’ mockorange scented flowers
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- Philadelphus lewisii ‘Blizzard’ mockorange many blooms
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- Philadelphus lewisii ‘Blizzard’ mockorange golden stamens
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- Philadelphus lewisii ‘Blizzard’ mockorange flowers
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- Philadelphus lewisii ‘Blizzard’ mockorange flower cluster
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- Philadelphus lewisii ‘Blizzard’ mockorange flower closeup
Beautiful post Northern! As you know, it is a favorite here too. It seems to fill a gap in the flowering shrubs, after the lilacs are done, and before the hydrangeas get going. Speaking of which, I was wondering how yours are? Mine have about 12-18″ of new growth (no growth on old branches), with no signs of flowering. Not sure if this is normal for them? ~Rebecca
Absolutely stunning. I have one, too, but I just planted it. It’s not growing very much, but it’s still alive. No blooms this year. I’m not sure what variety it is, but I’ll look it up.
Rebecca, it is handy that it blooms now, when there aren’t any other flowering shrubs out in my garden. I’ve been looking around the garden this week, to see if there is room for another ‘Blizzard’ anyplace.
My Hydrangea had some dieback on some branches this year, the most ever, but not nearly as you are describing. I’m not sure about the flowering buds yet, but I’ll know more in a month.
Diane, the reason this sneaked ahead of Hydrangea for my favourite shade shrub, is because of the delightful scent. I smell it every time I go out my back door now.
Cool plant – I love all the photos.
It looks absolutely gorgeous! I wonder if it’s hardy enough for us?
Jeff, northern shady gardens don’t have quite the range of shrubs to choose from as warmer zones. The Philadelphus, and a few Hydrangea are some of the extra showy ones for reliable flowering here.
Katarina, last winter our temperatures dropped to -40°C (-40°F) and it is still blooming well. We also had snow at the very end of May, and I thought the late frosts might lower the bud count, but the shrub really performs well.
I love a good Mock Orange! Looking back it may have been a better to plant a smaller shrub version like yours. 5 years on, I’ll survive my own choices, and eventually come out of the pruning curve with my mammoth bush. Still worth it though :)
Laura, I have a Philadelphus virginalis (standard mockorange) as well, but it is not a reliable bloomer for me. However, it does give better privacy on that side, and a green backdrop.
It is a beauty in your garden! It is funny that almost the same tree blooms here too. I have a double form of Philadelphus who was here when I bought this garden, so I do not know the name on it. It is old, and that is all I know about it.
I have bought a new hydrangea with double flowers, but I am not sure if it is hardy enough here. Does yours freeze down in winter?
Marit, the double Philadelphus would be very pretty.
I’ve found the most successful Hydrangea here in zone 3 are the H. paniculata and Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’. The branches of H. paniculata don’t usually die back at all, but some did this year. My Annabelle ends up getting pruned back every winter, because it is where the snow from the porch ends up getting tossed.
Fabulous shrub and scented to boot! Looks like I’ve yet another item on my wishlist. As always, thanks for sharing.
Linda, I’ve been very pleased with how well Philadelphus lewisii ‘Blizzard’ performs compared to Philadelphus virginalis. I’m not sure if it just handles the cold of zone 3 better, or if it also handles the shade better, but it always puts on a great flower show. Plus, the shrub shape is much more appealing.
Hi Northern, Lovely photos! Good to know this shrub came through the past winter so well. I think if it made it through that then it will make it through anything. It also sounds like a vast improvement over some really large, dense mock orange that were at our last place. By the time we moved there they were almost unprunable.
I have to say, these shrubs could be hideous and I would still love them for their scent. It is irresistable!
The Garden Ms. S, I was pleased to see the flower buds forming this spring, as I wasn’t sure how it would fare. I especially wondered if the frosts at the end of May would hurt the buds, but it doesn’t seem fazed. I’m alternating between sniffing the mockorange and the peony this week.
It’s absolutely gorgeous. I’ve been trying to think of a spot to plant a mock orange for several years now and haven’t quite figured it out (unless I dig up some more grass!) I’ll have to remember ‘Blizzard’ when the time comes ~ it sounds like the perfect size & shape.
Kathleen, it is easier to fit ‘Blizzard’ into a border with other plants, because of the compact shape.
Hello! Reading all of your posts about mock oranges has me jealous.
I have 2 that I planted about 7 years ago. They have
yet to bloom! otherwise the foliage looks pretty.
Been trying to find out why but no success.
I had several small blooms but that’s it. Any ideas??
Pruning or shearing needed?
Thanks! Brooke in Maine
Brooke, my Philadelphus virginalis (regular mockorange) has not been as good at flowering. I’m not sure if it is because of the cold of zone 3, the shade, or something else. However, Philadelphus lewisii ‘Blizzard’ has been a far better bloomer, without any fussing. Blizzard seems to be a superior variety, with shade and cold tolerance. I’ve done very little pruning on it. I think the good flowering is mostly due to the hardiness of this variety of Lewis mockorange.
If you’re going to prune mockorange, do it right after blooming, since it flowers on last year’s wood, so it won’t interfere with next year’s flowers.
I’m sitting on my front porch right now admiring the 2 Blizzards that I just bought after reading your site. They will be situated between 2 Miss Kims on either side of my front door. I’m in Edmonton as well and love that you have such great success stories with your plants!
Denise, the Blizzards and lilacs will make a lovely entrance garden. Both shrubs should make a wonderfully perfumed entry way when they are in bloom. With luck, and depending on the size of the shrub, you might even get some blooms on ‘Blizzard’ this year. I got a moderate amount the first year, and then a really good show from the next year on.
Wow, you weren’t kidding! The blossoms are wonderful and there were so many considering it was their first year, I can only imagine what kind of show they will put on next year. I did notice some aphids on the tips of a few branches while it was blooming but the ants seemed to keep them under control for the most part. They are in full sun for most of the day and needed quite a bit of water this year to keep from wilting, I’m hoping that as they mature that issue will resolve itself. I was so impressed with the fragrance that I’d like to put a couple more in the back yard near the deck, you mentioned that your shrub only gets a couple hours of sunlight but still blooms reliably? Where I would like to plant it would get that at a maximum.
Denise, I enjoyed the wonderful scent for the last three weeks, but now my mockorange has finished flowering for the year. It is planted right next to my patio, near my backdoor, so I can enjoy the sweet perfume as soon as I go into the back yard, or when I sit out on the patio. It’s a great idea to plant it near your deck where you can enjoy the fragrance.
‘Blizzard’ has been a very reliable bloomer for me every year. It is sited to get about 2 hours of morning sun. There is a large willow on the south side of my shrub that only lets a tiny bit of dappled light filter through after that. I’ve been very pleased with the tremendous number of flowers it always produces in these challenging light conditions.
When should I plant blizzard? What kind of soil does it like? THANKS!!
Leslie, it depends on where you garden. If you are in a cooler zone like zone 3, you can plant it any time from spring to fall and it should do okay. Though if it is during the heat of summer, you’ll want to give it extra watering. You don’t want to plant it too late in fall, as it is better to let it get established before the winter. If you are in a warmer gardening zone, you would be better off planting it in spring or fall, and avoiding the harsh conditions of summer.