Your Local Plant Icon

[Wishin']

Wow, the mock oranges sound fantastic. If only I had the space

 

[catjac1975]

I'm sure that I knew the word "icon" before the internet age. Now, it seems to be in very common usage. My computer shows icons on the monitor.

More importantly, the landscape around here is now showing an icon just about everywhere! A species of Mock Orange grows wild here. It is the state flower of Idaho. I think it is real special, altho' there is some controversy about the name . . .

Yes, it seems that it has been called Syringa since it was named for Meriwether Lewis. These days, there are folks who insist that it should be called Philadelphus lewisii instead of Syringa lewisii.
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I'm walking past this bush every time I turn the water on or off at the little veggie garden/dahlia garden. The scent is unbelievable!

I turn on the valve on one end of this garage, then go to the other end for another valve. Across the neighbor's fence is a pink rose that is in full bloom right now. It is just an incredible experience of fragrance!

How about in your neighborhood. Is there an iconic plant?

Steve

Is that also called Mock Orange?

 

[catjac1975]

Oops didn't read carefully enough. I have a large double mock orange that has almost never bloomed-at least never such a show. Is there a secret into getting mine to bloom?

 

[Smart Red]

Mine flowers for more like three weeks or so.

Oops didn't read carefully enough. I have a large double mock orange that has almost never bloomed-at least never such a show. Is there a secret into getting mine to bloom?

I don't know about yours, but my 'wilder' looking variety wasn't as full of blooms as the other ones. Something that might help is to cut back stems -- especially the older ones -- by one third each year for three years to get new stems growing. Older branches tend to die back and produce fewer flowers. Also, I suspect it will do best where it gets lots of sun.

Double mock? Have you ever tried rooting a cutting? I found my single flowering mock orange easy to root.

 

[catjac1975]

I would not root it unless I can get it to flower. It is in full sun next to a chicken coup. Grrrrr

 

[digitS']

Basalt.

Basalt and Ponderosa pine needles ...

I'm not sure but basalt rock dust may be sold as a soil amendment - why yes it is! (LINK) That oufit's sales territory seems inappropriate. This entire Intermountain West is layered in basalt and basalt soil! They need to carry their soil amendment farther afield.

My gardens don't have much in the way of basalt rocks - some. The alluvial gravel is what the ice ripped out of the Rockies, so there are mostly igneous rocks of a different nature.

@catjac1975 , your soil might be acidic and that would be different from most of what is here.

Steve

 

[so lucky]

About 40 miles NNW of my home is basalt and native pines galore. I could just move, I guess.

 

[Lavender2]

The neighborhood iconic plant? Cattails. I really should learn to eat them, it may be my top crop this year.

 

[thistlebloom]

Oops didn't read carefully enough. I have a large double mock orange that has almost never bloomed-at least never such a show. Is there a secret into getting mine to bloom?

You can try root pruning it Cat. Use a shovel and sever the roots at the drip line all the way around the shrub. Sometimes this jumpstarts the reluctant bloomer into blooming. I would also follow it up with a fertilizer that was heavy on the phosphorous.

 

[catjac1975]

I remember learning about this for lilacs!!!! One thing. It really has never bloomed.