Mock Orange Shrub

Have you ever walked down a neighborhood, and got a whiff of sweet fragrance of citrus in the air? As you sniff your way towards this enchanting smell, you come across a shrub with brown stems and waxy leaves. A closer look at the small white flowers, helps you confirm your doubts. It is indeed a mock orange shrub. These shrubs have white flowers with a yellow-orange center and give out an orange-like fragrance. As it imitates the orange fragrance, hence its name. Won't you love to grow one in your flower garden and enjoy the scent in and around your house? If yes, then let's get into the details.

Growing a Mock Orange Shrub
It is also known as Philadelphus coronarius according to the botanical taxonomy and is a deciduous flowering shrub. This plant has light green leaves and can reach a height of about 3 to 8 feet when mature. The height marks as a major attribute for privacy fencing usage and as a hedge plant as well. The white flowers range from single, semi-double to fully double types.

They can be successfully grown in zones 4 to 8. These plants need full sun exposure and partial shade. Grow them in a well-drained loamy soil and it should be evenly spaced. Once the plant is established, it shows comparatively better drought tolerant characteristics. The pH of the soil should be slightly acidic to neutral. The hole dug should be deep enough so that all the roots are properly covered. Make sure all the rocks and pebbles are removed in the soil dug as the root system is very delicate and should not be damaged. Mulch the base to keep the soil moist and cool and water the plant properly. Also, make sure there are no weeds around. Mulching will help avoid growth of weeds.

Care
It is not a very fussy plant. It does not need to be fed with a lot of fertilizers and nutrients. If you spot yellowing of leaves or stunted growth, make sure you feed it with some fertilizers. The best time to carry out mock orange shrub care is in late February or early March. You can even add fertilizers in late June and early July. Use a rose type plant food for feeding it.

Pruning
The trick here is to understand the right time for it. When your shrub has completed its flowering cycle, cut back about a third of the length of all the stems that had flowers. New ones will be produced soon enough with flowering buds for the next year. Second part of pruning is to prune the old stems. You need to prune one in three old stems right to the base which in turn will help stimulate the plant to produce new basal growths. Thus, your flowering plant will be as good as new.

Orange shrubs are a favorite landscaping plant, generally grown near a patio, driveway or walkway. Caring is rather easy and does not require any special gardening arrangements. So, try planting it and feel refreshed with the citrus fragrance of this flowering shrub.