Common Name:

General Information

Philadelphus pubescens is a deciduous shrub with erect to ascending stems; it can grow 1 - 6.5 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a soap. It is often grown as an ornamental in gardens, where it can be used to make a hedge.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Southern and central N. America - Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia

Habitat

Wooded river bluffs in Texas[]. Cliffs, rock outcrops, bluffs, rocky slopes, old homesites, suburban woodlands, stream banks; at elevations upto 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	4.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Philadelphus pubescens is a moderately cold-hardy plant, being able to tolerate short periods with temperatures down to around -15 to -20°c when fully dormant[].
Easily grown in any moderately fertile soil, succeeding in thin soils over chalk[]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Tolerates poor soils[]. Succeeds in semi-shade but prefers a position in full sun where it will flower more freely[, ]. Grows well on the woodland edge or in a glade[].
The flowers are richly scented[].
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[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

Plants can be grown as an informal hedge or screen[].

Other Uses

The leaves 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[].

Propagation

Seed - best if given 1 months cold stratification[]. Sow late winter 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, mid summer 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.