Yes, they are very fragrant right now! I have a smaller sized yard -so I liked how this shrub holds tight to the fence (and grows much higher), gets green early, and has a nice bloom. If it is a Lilac, I guess it would not have a very long bloom period. Still seems to be a great shrub from what I can tell! Thank you for your help!! Richard

extra cold this winter .. and the sun heating the blacktop during the day.. and extra cold at night .... probably made it go in and out of dormancy .. which caused the winter damage ... no matter what it is... i will ask.. is it.. in a spot.. in the front of the house.. where you want a 2 or 3 year renovation job ... if not.. get rid of it... if you.. or more particularly.. momma.. doesnt care.. lol ... then give it a few more weeks.. and cut out all the dead stuff .. [and if you are momma.. dad probably hasnt even noticed yet.. lol] and then decide you dont like it.. lol .. and then dig it out.. if this were in my back 3 acres.. i would enjoy watching how it rejuvenated itself.. out front... shovel prune... and then.. since the hole is already dug.. throw in something else.. something better ... ken

Yep, Philadelphus coronarius or some cultivar thereof :-) This is a suckering shrub (like lilacs), so relatively easy to separate exterior young suckers/shoots to start new plants. There was a mock orange like this planted outside my bedroom window when I was growing up.....the wonderful fragrance - strongest on a warm evening - is very evocative and triggers all sort of pleasant memories of my childhood :-)

i call it sedum ... and the usual standard is autumn joy, though there are variations on the theme .. never fert it.. it probably never needs water ... and it could be broken into about 100 pieces that would probably all live ... and its an incredible bee magnet ... ken https://www.google.com/search?q=autumn+joy+sedum&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAWoVChMI_6C926XtxgIVgp6ACh3PYwzM&biw=903&bih=745&dpr=0.9