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Taxon  Report  
Philadelphus microphyllus  A. Gray
Desert syringa,   Little leaf mock orange,   Littleleaf mock orange
Philadelphus microphyllus is a shrub that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Genus: Philadelphus
Family: Hydrangeaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Communities: Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland
Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS + POWO
Alternate Names:
PLANTSPhiladelphus microphyllus ssp. occidentalis
JEFPhiladelphus microphyllus ssp. pumilus
JEF + PLANTSPhiladelphus microphyllus ssp. stramineus
PLANTSPhiladelphus microphyllus ssp. typicus
PLANTSPhiladelphus microphyllus var. linearis
More …
Information about  Philadelphus microphyllus from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (PHMI4)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Cultivation: This flowering shrub, Philadelphus microphyllus, is propagated and used as a drought-tolerant ornamental plant in its native range for: traditional gardens; natural landscape, native plant, drought tolerant water conserving, and habitat gardens; and various types of municipal, commercial, and agency sustainable landscape and restoration projects. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 05/21/2025).