Philadelphus lewisii, the Lewis' mock-orange, mock-orange, Gordon's mockorange, wild mockorange, is a deciduous shrub native to western North America, and is the state flower of Idaho.
Description
The perennial shrub is rounded and grows to in height. It sends out long stems which are red when new and fade to gray with age, the bark shredding in small flakes.
The oppositely arranged leaves vary in size across individual plants but they are usually oval, long, smooth or serrated along the edges, and light green in color with a rough texture.
The plant is somewhat similar in appearance to serviceberry.
thumb|Fruits
Taxonomy
It was first collected for science by scientist and explorer Meriwether Lewis in 1806 during the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and so was named after him.
Distribution and habitat
Lewis' mock-orange occurs from northwestern California in the Sierra Nevada, north through the Pacific Northwest to southern British Columbia, and east to Idaho and Montana. In the Cascades it occurs from sea level up to , while in the Sierra Nevada it grows from .
Lewis' mock orange palatability for Rocky Mountain elk is much greater after fire, with 36.3% of twigs browsed compared to only 1.3% on adjacent unburned sites. The flowers are used in preparing perfumes and teas. The Syilx/Okanagan people use P. lewisii blooming as a temporal sign that marmots are fat and ready to be hunted.
Cultivation
Lewis' mock-orange prefers full sun to partial sun. It is drought-tolerant, will grow in poor soils, and is suitable for xeriscaping. It provides a landscape with flashy flowers and a fruity scent.right|thumb|Waterton Mockorange Philadelphus lewisii 'Waterton
The Waterton Mockorange Philadelphus lewisii 'Waterton was hybridized by the Alberta Horticultural Research Station in Brooks, Alberta, Canada. It grows to in height. It is named for Augustus Griffin, who in 1933 noted that this plant was growing in what is now Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada.
References
External links
- Idaho Statutes: State Flower
- Jepson eFlora: Philadelphus lewisii
- Plants of British Columbia: Philadelphus lewisii
- University of Michigan, Dearborn: Ethnobotany of Philadelphus lewisii