Mock Orange (Philadelphus lewisii)

Also known as Lewis's mock orange or Wild mock orange this widespread native shrub is found from California up to southern British Columbia and east to Idaho and Montana. Covered in masses of beautiful white blloms that have a rich, sweet, citrus like perfume. Grows 4 to 9 feet tall and is attractive in all seasons, with its tidy green leaves that turn gold in the fall,cool woody seed capsules, red aging silver new bark and shaggy shedding older limbs and trunk.. A great disease resistant, easy to grow native plant. The plant was very useful to Native Americans with the hard wood being used for fishing and hunting tools, pipes, snowshoes and furniture. The leaves and bark were soaked in water to make a gentile soap. Hardy zones 4-8.