MOCK ORANGE Philadelphus Coronarius Characteristics Culture
MOCK ORANGE Philadelphus coronarius
Characteristics
Type: Shrub Water: Medium Zone: 4 to 8 Maintenance: Low Height: 10.00 to 12.00 feet Suggested Use: Hedge Spread: 10.00 to 12.00 feet Flower: Showy, Fragrant Bloom Time: May to June Attracts: Butterflies Bloom Description: White flowers Tolerate: Deer, Clay Soil Sun: Full sun to part shade
Culture
Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to light shade. Prefers moist, organically rich soils. Tolerates a wide range of soils except poorly-drained ones. Flowers appear on the prior year’s growth, so prune as needed immediately after flowering.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Philadelphus coronarius, commonly called mockorange is a dense, rounded, multi-stemmed, suckering, deciduous shrub with stiff, straight, ascending but arching branches. It typically matures to 10-12’ tall and as wide. It is native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor. It is grown in landscapes primarily for its 4-petaled, very fragrant, white flowers (each to 1 1/2” across) which bloom abundantly in May to early June in small clusters (5 to 7- flowered racemes). Each flower purportedly resembles the shape of an orange blossom, hence the common name of mockorange. Flowers give way to seed capsules. Dark brown bark exfoliates with age. Genus name comes from the Greek word philadelphus meaning loving one’s brother or sister. A Grecian and Roman family name. New York Botanical Garden suggests that the genus name instead comes from Ptolemy Philadelphus, a king of the third century B.C.
Problems
Some susceptibility to leaf spot, canker, powdery mildew and rust. Aphids, nematodes, scale and leaf miners are occasional visitors. Deer tend to avoid this plant.
Garden Uses
Foundation plantings, hedges, cottage gardens, shrub borders or low screens. This shrub has minimal ornamental interest when not in flower. Courtesy of Missouri Botanical Society Plant Finder