A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 need help identifying a shrub or bush

Hi everyone ... my sister in law is looking for a shrub that my in-laws grew in their yard when she was a child. My Mother-in-law called it a wedding tree or wedding bush. I'm certain she has the name incorrect, anyway, the shrub or bush as she refers to it bloomed all summer. It's described as a dense bush with bright white fragrant flowers. I'm told it use to make my father-in-law crazy because it always had a blanket of white petals under it that he could never rid the yard of. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

there is a 'bridal wreath' spiraea

Try Mockorange virginal [Phildelpus virginal].

Here's some more detailed memory. My sister further explains the flower on the plant to look similair to the pink flower of the Mi :rolleyes: mosa tree with a smaller bouquets of white flowers on the end of the pink fluffy flower. She says sorry ... also thinks it maybe some sort of evergreen and remembers it being a large shrub, at the least 5ft. Thinks it stayed green all year, or doesn't recall it browning. You guys are the best, thanks!

Oh .. sorry, I know the more detail the better the find. She says there was a teeny, tiny miniture white bouquet like flower at the very end of the branch, stalk, stem ... she couldn't find the right word for it ... but knew it was on the end. Also said it has very light fragrance when you walked past it and would know it if she could smell it, but off hand can't give that a name either. Can ya tell I'm talking to her on the phone????? Describes the flower petals as though you would be throwing a handful of snow flakes to the air. Thanks again ... mysteries, aren't the the best

Papito, nope not a mock orange. Everything she describes sounds to me like a Bridal Spirea but she insists that it blooms throughout the summer.
Do you know if the Reeves spirea has that long of a bloom time?

lace cap hydrangea of some sort?

thought that too Sandy but still sticking to the story that it has tiny bouquets and blooms all summer. Suggested she take a walk to her nearest nursery and check out their catalogs and plants available now. Need to put a rush on this thing. Mother-in-law in a nursing home and wants to give her something as an appreciation gift. Need it by next week. Ugh!

Sounds like Bridal Wreath (Spirea). It is a big floppy shrub like a butterfly bush and can get 6 feet tall and about 10 feet wide and its flowers are delicate clusters of white. They stay green here all year round but only bloom for about a month in spring.

I was going to include a pic of one, but can't seem to find it on my harddrive. Sorry

Sounds like spirea, bridal veil, bridal wreath...bush. I remember things differently from when I was a child. Things I remember blooming a long time dont now.
http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&q=spirea+bridal+wreath

from your latest description it sounds like a shrub that should not grow in PA

Calliandra schultzii \'Rose Cascade\'

I tried getting a picture of the one my neighbor has but they didn't turn out. Maybe I'll try later. but white is hard to get a picture of with an inexpensive camera. Especially when I'm a lousy photographer lol.

Thanks everyone. I think what she's talking about is the Bridal Wreath Spirea. I have other Spireas and if I trim them back and reshape them they will bloom again during the summer. I have to admit that I remember things differently as well. Still waiting for her to make her trip to the nursery in search of this elusive shrub.