Mock Orange, Lewis' mock orange
Philadelphus lewisii
Family: Hydrangeaceae
What it is like
Philadelphus lewisii is a deciduous Shrub growing to 3.6 m (11ft 10in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower from June to July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 3.6
Where it is found
Gullies, water courses, rocky cliffs, talus slopes and rocky hillsides of sagebrush deserts.
Western N. America - British Columbia to Oregon.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 1
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. A poultice of the bruised leaves has been used to treat infected breasts. 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.
Antihaemorrhoidal: Treats haemorrhoids (piles). This would probably be best added to another heading.
Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.
Eczema: Used in the treatment of eczema - a chronic health condition that affects the skin, causing redness, dryness, itching and infections.
Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.
Other
Rating:
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. 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. 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. An infusion of the bark can also be used. The stems can be used in making fine coiled baskets. Wood - strong, very hard. Used for tool handles.
Soap: Plants used directly as a soap substitute.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
An easily grown plant, succeeding in any moderately fertile soil, and also in thin soils over chalk. Tolerates poor soils. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in semi-shade but prefers a position in full sun where it will flower more freely. Plants are hardy to about -15°c. Some named forms have been developed for their ornamental value. 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. A very ornamental plant with aromatic flowers. This plant is the State flower of Idaho.
Propagating it: Seed - best if given 1 months cold stratification. 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. 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. Layering in summer. Very easy.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist