
Our state flower, Syringa or Lewis’ Mock Orange, is about to come into bloom. This photo, taken in another year along Rocky Canyon Road, shows Syringa in is full glory.
One noteworthy aspect of our State plant is that it is a great choice for a firewise landscape due to its high soap, or saponin, content. Observing this, native peoples employed the bark and leaves of Syringa in soap-making. Several other garden plants, including Soapworts (Saponaria) and Baby’s Breath (Gypsophilia) contain saponins, and they are all fire-resistant.
Saponins are used in modern fire extinguishers–its what creates the foam.
The botanical name for Syringa is Philadelphus lewisii, in honor of Meriwether Lewis who wrote about the plant in his journal.