STATE FLOWER
Idaho's State Flower: Syringa
Idaho's state flower is the syringa, or mock orange (Philadelphus lewisii), a fragrant white-flowering shrub named for its orange-blossom-like scent.
A Long Road to Official Status
Idaho's first legislature after statehood favored the syringa, but it took until 1931 for the plant to become the officially designated state flower. The shrub was first collected for science by explorer Meriwether Lewis during the Lewis and Clark expedition, which is reflected in its species name, lewisii.
QUICK FACT
Despite the common name "mock orange," syringa is not related to citrus at all — the name refers only to its fragrance.
