Thanks it is definitely not a pearl bush. A friend said it might be
some type of Gardenia, but these blooms are very puny compared to most
domestic gardenias I've seen.

photo:
http://ih.fotothing.com/90270.jpg

Interesting! *Flowers with 3 or 6 petals are generally monocots (bulbs
and bulblike plants, cactus, grasses, palms), but the leaves (the oval
ones) are clearly those of a dicot (herbacious and woody perennials and
shrubs).

The flowers and leaves resemble pearl bush (Exochorda) except pearl bush
flowers have 5 petals.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: *California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary