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Philadelphus lewisii

Common name:	Mock Orange	Family:	Hydrangeaceae
Author:	Pursh.	Botanical references:	11, 60, 200
Synonyms:	Philadelphus californicus (Benth.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Western N. America - British Columbia to Oregon.
Habitat:	Gullies, water courses, rocky cliffs, talus slopes and rocky hillsides of sagebrush deserts[60].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	P. columbianus[G] P. gordonianus[B,G] P. gordonianus var. columbianus[B,G,P] P. lewisii ssp. californicus[B,P] P. lewisii ssp. gordonianus[B] P. lewisii var. angustifolius[B] P. lewisii var. ellipticus[B] P. lewisii var. gordonianus[B] P. lewisii var. helleri[B] P. lewisii var. intermedius[B] P. lewisii var. oblongifolius[B] P. lewisii var. parvifolius[B] P. lewisii var. platyphyllus[B]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	California Mock Orange [B], California Mockorange [P], Lewis' Mock Orange [S,B], Lewis' Mockorange [P,FEIS], Mockorange [DEN1],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Rosales. Hydrangea family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Elsewhere(Amerindian)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious shrub growing to 3.6m. It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower from June to July. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antihaemorrhoidal; Antirheumatic; Poultice; Skin.

The dried powdered leaves, or the powdered wood, has been mixed with pitch or oil and used as a rub on sores and swollen joints[257]. A poultice of the bruised leaves has been used to treat infected breasts[257]. A strained decoction of the branches, sometimes with the flowers, has been used as a soaking solution in the treatment of sore chests, eczema and bleeding haemorrhoids[257].

Other Uses

Soap; Wood.

The leaves and flowers are rich in saponins, when crushed and mixed with water they produce a lather that is an effective cleaner, used on the body, clothes etc[99, 169, 257]. You can wash your hands by merely picking a couple of leaves or a bunch of blossom, wetting your hands and then rubbing the plant material vigorously as if it was a bar of soap[K]. This soap is a very gentle cleaner that does not remove the body's natural oils, but does remove dirt. It is not very effective against oil[K]. An infusion of the bark can also be used[99, 169].
The stems can be used in making fine coiled baskets[257].
Wood - strong, very hard. Used for tool handles[99].

Cultivation details

An easily grown plant, succeeding in any moderately fertile soil, and also in thin soils over chalk[200]. Tolerates poor soils[200]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in semi-shade but prefers a position in full sun where it will flower more freely[182, 200].
Plants are hardy to about -15°c.
Some named forms have been developed for their ornamental value[182]. Plants are very tolerant of pruning, one third of the stems can be cut down to the ground each year in order to promote fresh growth and heavier flowering[202].
A very ornamental plant with aromatic flowers[182, 200]. This plant is the State flower of Idaho[212].

Propagation

Seed - best if given 1 months cold stratification[113]. Sow February in a light position in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm long side-shoots, July/August in a shaded frame. Plant out in spring. High percentage[78].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, 15 - 25cm with a heel, December in a sheltered bed outdoors. Fair to good percentage[78].
Layering in summer. Very easy.

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers are very aromatic.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Soap Plants

Web References

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[S] Image from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[C] Taxon data. from the CalFlora database.
Images from the CalPhoto database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
[DEN] Data _ Photos (Good Identification info) from the Virginia Tech's Dendrology Deptarments' Tree Fact Sheets.
[FEIS] Data (Uses, Ecology, Fire Effects) from the USDA Forestry Service Fire Effects Information System.

References for Philadelphus californicus (a possible synonym).

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[60] Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955
A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[99] Turner. N. J. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum 1979 ISBN 0-7718-8117-7
Excellent and readable guide.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[169] Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden.
Covers all aspects of growing your own clothes, from fibre plants to dyes.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[202] Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990 ISBN 0-670-82929-3
Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.

[212] Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers The Riverside Press 1963 ISBN 63-7093
Excellent little pocket guide to the area, covering 590 species and often giving details of their uses.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.