Philadelphus 'Snowbelle' is a flowering deciduous shrub offering 3 seasons of interest, blooming in late spring or early summer. Borne on graceful, arching branches dense with variegated dark green foliage, abundant clusters of highly fragrant, bright white double flowers perfume the garden with a citrusy orange-blossom scent, attracting bees and butterflies. The lustrous, oval leaves add color and texture to the garden all season and are often used as foliage filler in floral arrangements.
A Philadelphus hybrid, commonly called mock orange or sweet mock orange, Philadelphus 'Snowbelle' is a multistemmed shrub with a compact, upright, mounded habit, growing to only 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. Although it makes an excellent specimen or "thriller" in a container garden, it is shown to best effect when massed or grouped in mixed beds, borders, or foundation plantings.
A cold hardy, easy-care plant, Philadelphus 'Snowbelle' grows best in sunny to dappled sun locations with organically rich, moist, well-draining soils, but it tolerates a wide range of soils, including alkaline soils, loam, and compacted clay, as long as they drain well. The plant is drought tolerant as well as deer and disease resistant. Philadelphus 'Snowbelle' blooms on old wood (prior year's growth), so any pruning should be done immediately after flowering.
