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Home  /  Plants  /  Budburst Species  /  Philadelphus lewisii
Phenology Observation Sheet for Deciduous Trees and Shrubs

COMMON NAME

Lewis' mock orange

SCIENTIFIC NAME

Philadelphus lewisii

ALSO KNOWN AS

Western mock orange, Wild mock orange

Plant family

Hydrangea (Hydrangeaceae)

Plant group

Deciduous Trees and Shrubs

Lewis' mock orange is a small deciduous shrub with opposite, pointed leaves, clusters of white flowers that smell like orange blossoms, and woody capsules for fruits that split into 4 open valves when ripe.
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OBSERVERS
139+
OBSERVATIONS
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Identification hints

Lewis' mock orange is a small deciduous shrub with opposite, pointed leaves, clusters of white flowers that smell like orange blossoms, and woody capsules for fruits that split into 4 open valves when ripe.
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Did you know?

The genus name comes from the Egyptian king Ptolemy Philadelphus (309-247 BC), and the species name honors Meriwether Lewis, who first described the shrub along the Bitterroot River. It is a very popular ornamental shrub in temperate climates due to its intense sweet fragrance that is similar to orange trees. Poulticed or powdered leaves have been used for medicinal or culinary purposes, while the wood has been used for snowshoes and tools/weapons.
DISTRIBUTION IN TH U.S.
California , Idaho , Montana , Oregon , Washington
HABITAT
This plant likes full sun to part shade, well-drained areas, particularly along streams and in rocky slopes and open banks. It is often found in moist or rocky slopes, ravines, grasslands, thickets and open woodlands, generally at 7000 ft (2100 m). Oak or pine woodland.
ATTRIBUTES
Leaves
Leaf arrangement is opposite, leaf shape is generally oval-shaped and 0.79 to 3.15 in (2 to 8 cm) long by 0.79 to 1.57 in (2 to 4 cm) wide, glabrous (smooth) to hairy. Each leaf bears three main veins from the base, leaf edges range from smooth to toothed.
Flowers
Flowers can appear in clusters of 3 to 11 at tips of branches. Generally 0.79 to 1.18 in (2 to 3 cm) wide with 4 to 5 white-ivory, round or notched petals and 4 to 5 sepals (petal-like structures). Flower centers contain 25 to 40 yellow stamens. Fragrance similar to orange blossoms. Flowers bloom May to July.
Fruits
Lewis’ mock orange has fruits that are capsules. The capsules are small and hard, with woody pointed wings and are about 1 cm long.
Bark
Red-brown, aging gray, peeling as narrow strips or narrow rectangles; twigs glabrous (smooth) to hairy.

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