I haven’t had the opportunity to do much walking lately, so I’ve had to take my inspiration from closer to home. This fragrant-flowered bush grows in my backyard. I hope you like the picture because it cost me three mosquito bites!
My best guess at the identity of this plant is in the comments.
This is most likely sweet pepperbush, a.k.a. poorman’s soap, fisherman’s soap plant, summersweet, and white alder. The soap-related names come from the fact that the flowers were once used as a soap substitute in New England. If you crush the flowers together with some water, they supposedly form a lather (see the “Dictionary of American Regional English”). I’ll have to try it some time.
Unlike many of my Mystery Flowers, sweet pepperbush is not a reviled plant. The flowers smell good and attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds, so some people deliberately grow it in their gardens.
We tried rubbing it with some water and it didn’t seem very soapy 🙁