LITTLELEAF MOCKORANGE

Philadelphus microphyllus

There is no more memorable scent than the fragrance of mockorange, and this desert version of a garden standard smells just as good as its cousins of wetter places. It combines masses of fragrant, white blossoms in early summer with small, fine-textured leaves and a tough, drought-hardy nature. It thrives out in the open on coarse, rocky soils in places where the summers are hot, growing alongside such unlkely companions as green mormon tea and fourwing saltbush. It can also handle shade-- it can grow tucked up under the edges of clumps of Gambel oak and on steep canyon walls. Its growth form is also variable, with a more willowy, erect form when in shade and a more compact, mounding form in full sun. It tolerates a range of soil types and watering regimes, combining well with foothill plants like Gambel oak and Utah serviceberry as well as with true desert plants.