Shrub · Hydrangeaceae
Mock Orange
Philadelphus coronarius
Give it full sun and a prune at the right time, and mock orange floods early summer with orange-blossom scent.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 4–8
10–12 ft · 3–3.7 m
Overview
Mock orange earns its place for one reason above all: the white, four-petaled flowers that open in late spring carry a rich orange-blossom scent you can smell across the garden. It's a deciduous shrub in the hydrangea family, native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor, and it grows into a big, multi-stemmed mound of arching canes.
This is a forgiving plant. It shrugs off cold down to zone 4, takes drought and wind once it's settled in, and adapts to sandy, loamy, or clay soil, even where the pH runs alkaline. The one thing it asks for is sun, since shade thins the bloom and invites mildew.
Age is the catch. Left alone, the shrub turns leggy and twiggy, with flowers stranded at the tops of long bare canes. A yearly cut of the oldest stems keeps it full and flowering, which is most of the work this plant ever needs.
Care
The short version: full sun for the heaviest bloom, moist well-drained soil while it establishes, and a yearly prune right after flowering to keep an aging shrub full and fragrant.
Light
Plant it in full sun for the heaviest, most fragrant bloom. It will take partial shade and still grow, but shade trades flowers for leaf and opens the door to powdery mildew on the crowded inner branches.
Water
Keep the soil moist while the shrub establishes, then ease off, because a settled plant handles drought and wind on its own and wants little extra water. A drink every 7 to 14 days is plenty in dry spells. What it won't forgive is wet, poorly drained ground.
Soil
Mock orange is easygoing about soil, growing in sand, loam, or clay so long as it drains. A pH anywhere from 4.0 to 7.0 suits it, and it even tolerates the alkaline end that defeats many shrubs.
Temperature
This is a tough, cold-hardy shrub, comfortable from about -29°F to 100°F (-34°C to 38°C). It rides out hard winters in zone 4 and shrugs off summer heat without complaint.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity is fine, so there's no level to manage. Air movement matters more than moisture in the air, since still, crowded conditions are what bring on powdery mildew.
Feeding
A vigorous shrub like this barely needs feeding. A balanced fertilizer or a light layer of compost in spring covers it, and piling on more only pushes soft growth that aphids love.
Pruning
Timing is everything here, because mock orange blooms on old wood, so prune right after the flowers fade in early summer and never in fall or winter. As the plant ages and goes leggy, cut about a third of the oldest stems to the ground each year to bring it back.
Repotting
This is a landscape shrub, not a container plant, so repotting rarely comes up. If you need to move it, dig and transplant young suckers in early spring or fall while the plant is dormant or just waking.
Size & spacing
Give it room, because mature plants reach 10 to 12 feet (3 to 3.7 m) tall and spread 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3 m) wide. Set it where that arching mound can fill out without crowding a wall or path.
When to plant
Mock orange settles in best when planted in spring or fall, while the soil is cool and damp. The fragrant white flowers follow in late spring to early summer, roughly May into June, and the bloom is brief but worth the wait.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Spring or fall
- Harvest: White fragrant flowers in late spring to early summer (May to June)
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 4–8
Temperature: down to -34°C
Troubleshooting
Mock orange rarely gives serious trouble, and most of what shows up is cosmetic. The bigger letdown is a shrub that won't flower, which almost always traces back to pruning at the wrong time. Match the symptom below and act before a small issue settles in.
Few flowers and long, bare canes
Mock orange flowers on old wood, so cutting it back in fall or winter strips off next spring's buds and leaves you with sparse bloom. Too much shade and years of neglect do the same. Prune only right after the flowers fade, take out a third of the oldest canes each year, and move the shrub into fuller sun.
Fix:
- Prune only immediately after flowering, not in fall or winter
- Renewal prune by removing about one third of the oldest canes to the ground
- Move or site in fuller sun for best bloom
A dusty white film coating the leaves
This is powdery mildew, a fungus that settles in where the air sits still and the shrub grows in too much shade. Open the canopy with a few well-placed cuts and strip off the worst leaves. A spot in full sun, where foliage dries fast, keeps it from coming back.
Fix:
- Prune to open up the canopy and improve air circulation
- Remove and dispose of badly affected foliage
- Site in full sun where foliage dries quickly
Dark spots and blotches scattered across the leaves
These are fungal leaf spots, and on this shrub they look worse than they are. Rake up the fallen leaves where the spores overwinter, thin a few stems so air can move through, and keep water off the foliage. The plant shrugs it off most years.
Fix:
- Rake and remove fallen, infected leaves
- Thin stems to improve airflow
- Avoid wetting foliage when watering
Curled new shoots crawling with small insects
The culprits are usually aphids, soft-bodied insects that cluster on tender tips and leave a sticky film behind. Knock them off with a hard jet of water, and reach for insecticidal soap only if they keep coming. Winding pale trails inside the leaves point instead to leaf miners, so pick and destroy those leaves.
Fix:
- Dislodge aphids with a strong spray of water
- Use insecticidal soap if populations are heavy
- Remove and destroy mined leaves
Toxicity
Good news for pet owners and parents: mock orange is non-toxic across the board. Nothing in the leaves, stems, or flowers will poison a cat, dog, horse, rabbit, bird, or child. The worst a stray mouthful might bring is mild stomach upset, the same as chewing any plant.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Mock orange is safe around cats. A curious nibble of leaf or flower won't poison them, though gnawing on any plant can bring on a little drool or a brief upset stomach.
Dogs None
Dogs are in the clear with this shrub. Nothing in the foliage or blooms is toxic, so a stolen mouthful is no cause for alarm beyond the odd bout of mild tummy trouble.
Horses Safe
Horses can graze near mock orange without risk. It carries no toxins that affect them, making it a fine choice for a paddock edge or pasture border.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits face no danger from mock orange. The leaves and stems are non-toxic, so a wandering rabbit that samples a low branch comes to no harm.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep can browse this shrub safely. It holds nothing that troubles ruminants, so it poses no threat where stock roam.
Birds Safe
Birds are perfectly safe around mock orange and often shelter in its dense, twiggy growth. Neither the foliage nor the flowers carry anything that would harm them.
People Safe
Mock orange is harmless to people, children included. It isn't grown to be eaten, but a stray taste of leaf or petal won't cause any real trouble.
No special handling required; as with any plant, discourage pets and children from chewing foliage to avoid mild stomach upset.
Varieties
Most mock oranges sold are the plain species, but a few named selections are worth seeking out for color or for cold-hardy bloom.
'Aureus'
Its new growth comes in bright golden-yellow before fading toward green as summer heat sets in.
'Variegatus'
Each green leaf is edged with a clean, creamy-white border that lights up a shady corner.
'Nanus'
A compact dwarf form that stays well below the towering size of the species.
'Minnesota Snowflake'
A cold-hardy pick that smothers itself in double white blooms with a heavy fragrance.
How to propagate
Mock orange is one of the easier shrubs to multiply, and there are three simple routes depending on the season and how much you want to fuss.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Softwood cuttings in late spring to early summer; hardwood cuttings from dormant stems in late fall to winter · 4 to 8 weeks for softwood cuttings to root
Cuttings are the simplest way to make more of this shrub. Take softwood cuttings in late spring to early summer or hardwood cuttings from dormant stems through late fall and winter, and softwood pieces strike roots in 4 to 8 weeks.
DivisionEasy
Early spring or fall · One growing season
Mock orange throws up suckers from the base, and you can dig and split off the rooted ones in early spring or fall. Each division settles in over a single growing season.
LayeringEasy
Spring to summer · One growing season or more
Layering takes almost no effort. Pin a low branch down against the soil any time from spring through summer, and it roots where it touches the ground over a season or more.
Myths
Every shrub called mock orange is the same plant.
Several unrelated plants share the name. The true mock orange, Philadelphus coronarius, is a deciduous shrub in the hydrangea family with four-petaled white flowers, while Pittosporum tobira is an evergreen carrying five-petaled blooms in clusters and Murraya paniculata is a tropical evergreen that sets red fruit. They belong to entirely different genera and only share that orange-blossom scent.