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Hydrangeaceae FAMILY

Philadelphus microphyllus

Philadelphus microphyllus

Edibility
1/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Shrub
Growth—

Philadelphus microphyllus is a moderately cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -20°c when fully dormant. A native of hot and sunny climates, plants do not grow or flower so freely when grown in more maritime climates with their cooler summers[1, 2] Easily grown in any moderately fertile preferably dry soil[2], succeeding in thin soils over chalk and tolerating poor soils[3]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in semi-shade but prefers a position in full sun where it will flower more freely[4, 3]. A drought-tolerant species, it is often found growing in cracks or fissures in rocky surfaces and in other dry, sandy, gravelly, or rocky areas[5]. Hardy to about -20°c[2]. Plants grow best in the east and south-east of Britain, they are shy to flower in gardens with cool summers[1]. 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[6]. A very ornamental plant[7] with aromatic flowers smelling of pineapples[4].

Propagation

Seed - best if given 1 months cold stratification[8]. 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[9]. 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[9]. Layering in summer. Very easy. Division of new growth from the base with some roots already attached is a very simple method of increase[5].. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Philadelphus+microphyllus>

Pollinators

Bees

References

  1. [1]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  2. [2]Shrubs. — Phillips. R. & Rix. M. · Pan Books · 1989 · ISBN 0-330-30258-2 ↩︎Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1,900 species and cultivars.
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
  5. [5]Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its Territories: Thamnic Descriptions — Francis J.K. (Editor) · USDA; Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestr · 2000 · http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/wildland_shrubs.htm ↩︎An excellent series of papers, in PDF format, from various authors giving quite detailed information on a range of shrubs growing in the United States and its Territories. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  6. [6]Climbers and Wall Shrubs. — Davis. B. · Viking. · 1990 · ISBN 0-670-82929-3 ↩︎Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.
  7. [7]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  8. [8]The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. — Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. · Athens Ga. Varsity Press · 1987 · ISBN 0942375009 ↩︎A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
  9. [9]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  10. [10]Flora of N. America — http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ ↩︎An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
  11. [11]Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World. — Tanaka. T. & Nakao S. · Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo · 1976 · ISBN - ↩︎The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
  12. [12]Food Plants of the N. American Indians. — Yanovsky. E. · U.S. Depf of Agriculture. · ISBN - ↩︎A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.
  13. [13]Native American Ethnobotany — Moerman. D. · Timber Press. Oregon. · 1998 · ISBN 0-88192-453-9 ↩︎Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
  14. [14]A Weavers Garden — Buchanan. R. · McGraw-Hill Contemporary · 1987 · ISBN 0934026289 ↩︎Covers all aspects of growing your own clothes, from fibre plants to dyes.
  15. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎