Mock orange
Common Name: Mock orange
Genus: Philadelphus
Cultivar: 'Virginal'
Skill Level: Beginner
Exposure: Full sun, Partial shade
Hardiness: Hardy
Soil type: Well-drained/light, Clay/heavy, Chalky/alkaline, Dry
Height: 300cm
Spread: 250cm
Time to take cuttings: June to January
Time to prune: July to August
Flowering period:
June
to
July
The large, white, deliciously fragrant flowers are what earns mock orange a place in the garden. This variety has double blooms that are produced in loose racmes from early to mid-summer. It is a deciduous, upright shrub that's fully hardy, but very vigorous, so needs to be given plenty of room to grow. The leaves are oval and dark green. To keep plants in shape, cut back shoots to a strong buds every year after flowering. On older plants, also remove roughly a quarter of the oldest branches each year to encourage new growth. To propagate, take softwood cuttings in summer or hardwood cuttings in autumn or winter.
Looks good with:
Echinops ritroLamium maculatum 'White Nancy'
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