RE: Philadelphus mexicana or lewisii?
Nan:
For many years, there were only about five clones of P. mexicana wandering
around from collects by Len Lowery in the 1950s. Recently there is some new
germplasm in the country from a couple of seed collections by Yucca Do
Nursery (in Texas). They are from a northern population (P. mex gets all
the way into Guatamala). I have about 25 plants, all doing very well here
in NW Oregon. They sailed through this atypical winter (14F) without
damage. The flower color ranges from a pure white to a cream with a hint of
yellow and a faint rose cast to the petal bases. They are unfortunately on
the whole few flowered. Of the clones we have, about half have a strong
scent-- the rest faint. The strongly scented ones are something between a
musk rose and Lonicera standishii. Quite nice. Its habit seems a bit lax as
Paul suggests, and it might be well used running up through another shrub.
It seems to pick up aphids easily and needs summer irrigation.
On the whole, I think P. lewisii may be a better garden plant, especially
in a summer drought climate. There was an excellent clone selected by
Everett Butts of Sacramento that we grew at the University of California
Arboretum for years. I'm not sure if it was ever named as a cultivar.
(Ellen Z.: do you know?)
Zone 8b/Sunset 6
typ min. 22F/-6C
Parker Sanderson
Partner
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