Philadelphus lewisii - Lewis's Mock-orange
Lewis's mock-orange at Banks Lake, Grant County Washington, Thayne Tuason photographer
Scientific Name: Philadelphus lewisii
Common Name: Lewis's mock-orange
Description: Deciduous, early summer-flowering shrub; arching branches bear racemes of 5-11 cup-shaped, pure white flowers in profusion; finely toothed, bright green foliage
Size: Grows to 10 feet high and wide
Cultural Information: Prefers moderately fertile, well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade
USDA Zones: 5 through 8
Historical Notes: Meriwether Lewis first collected specimens of this showy plant on the Kooskoosky River (Clearwater River, Idaho) in 1806, and the botanist Frederick Pursh later named this Philadelphus species after the explorer.
It is native from British Columbia to California and was being cultivated in the Eastern United States by 1823. Also known as syringa, this mock-orange is the state flower of Idaho.
- Peggy Cornett, n.d.