Lewis' mock orange
Philadelphus lewisii
Indigenous peoples used the leaves and bruised bark of this plant as a natural soap, as they produce a mild, cleansing lather when mixed with water.
- Scientific name
- Philadelphus lewisii
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Cornales › Hydrangeaceae › Philadelphus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Coniferous forest edges, rocky slopes, canyons, and riparian zones.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (Photosynthetic)
- Range
- British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana
- Size
- 1.5 to 3 meters (5 to 10 feet) tall
- Lifespan
- 30-50 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Fire suppression, habitat fragmentation, and displacement by invasive weeds.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and highly fragrant. You can safely approach to smell the citrus-scented blossoms. Do not ingest the leaves or flowers, as they contain saponins which can cause mild stomach upset if consumed in large quantities. No special emergency measures are needed for contact.
Philadelphus lewisii ( Lewis' mock-orange )—also known as Gordon's mockorange, Indian arrowwood, wild mockorange (though this can apply to any species in the genus) and syringa—a name that usually refers to the unrelated lilacs.—is a deciduous shrub native to western North America, from northwestern California in the Sierra Nevada, north to southern British Columbia, and east to Idaho and Montana. It is widespread but not very common, usually appearing as an individual plant amongst other species. It was...
Photo: Steve Wells, CC0, via iNaturalist
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