Plants
Mock Orange
Philadelphus · Hydrangeaceae
Mock orange — known in German as farmer's jasmine — is the great perfumer of early summer: in June, hundreds of white bowl-shaped flowers open, their sweet jasmine-and-orange fragrance filling whole gardens in the evening. It is not related to true jasmine, but hardly falls short of it in scent. The shrub itself is tough, fully hardy and one of the easiest bloomers of all.
- Light
- Sun to semi-shade; in deep shade both bloom and scent fall off sharply.
- Watering
- Undemanding; water young plants and containers regularly, otherwise only in long droughts.
- Care level
- Easy
- Botanical
- Philadelphus
The German name Pfeifenstrauch (pipe shrub) comes from the pithy wood once used to bore pipe stems. The trade is dominated by the strongly scented Philadelphus coronarius and hybrids such as „Belle Etoile“ with a purple eye, the double „Virginal“ or the compact „Manteau d'Hermine“ for small gardens. When buying, trust your nose: not all double cultivars are equally fragrant.
If you want the scent in your garden, plant the shrub where you spend your evenings — by the terrace, a seating area or under the bedroom window. The fragrance is strongest in the evening hours, as it is designed to attract night moths. The single-flowered cultivars are also good forage for bees and beetles.
Mock orange flowers on the previous year's wood. Prune straight after flowering: shorten spent shoots and take the oldest branches out near the ground every two to three years so the shrub, which can reach three metres, does not age out. It tolerates radical rejuvenation well, but that costs one or two years of bloom.
Philadelphus makes few demands on position and soil: sun to semi-shade, any ordinary garden soil, and it tolerates lime and urban conditions too. In very dry summers a watering helps; otherwise an established shrub manages on its own. A typical pest is black aphids on the new growth — beneficial insects usually sort that out by themselves.
In design terms, mock orange is the born partner of classic cottage-garden plants: peonies and early roses flower at the same time, lilac precedes it. In the vase, flowering branches last a few days and bring the fragrance indoors — use sparingly, as the sweetness can quickly become too much in small rooms.
Is Mock Orange toxic to children and pets?
- Children
- Non-toxic
- Cats
- Non-toxic
- Dogs
- Non-toxic
Mock orange is considered non-toxic to cats, dogs and children — unlike some true jasmines kept indoors, this shrub is safe in a family garden. It should still not be eaten.
Overview: toxic & non-toxic plants for cats, dogs and children
Care
- 01Sunny to semi-shaded position; the more sun, the richer the bloom and scent.
- 02Any ordinary garden soil, limy included; just avoid waterlogging.
- 03Prune straight after flowering — the shrub blooms on last year's wood.
- 04Thin the oldest shoots out near the ground every two to three years.
- 05With aphids on new growth, trust beneficial insects first.
- 06Water deeply in long dry spells, otherwise undemanding.
Frequently asked
- Is mock orange the same as jasmine?
- No. Mock orange is nicknamed farmer's jasmine for its scent, but belongs to the hydrangea family. True jasmine (Jasminum) is a mostly frost-tender climber from the olive family. For hardy garden fragrance, mock orange is the right choice.
- Is mock orange toxic to cats or dogs?
- No, Philadelphus is considered non-toxic to cats, dogs and people. It can be planted without concern in gardens with pets and children — an advantage over many other strongly scented shrubs.
- Why does my mock orange not smell?
- It is usually down to the cultivar: some modern, especially double-flowered selections have only a faint scent. The fragrance is also naturally quieter during the day than in the evening. For guaranteed perfume, choose Philadelphus coronarius or proven scented cultivars such as „Belle Etoile“ — and ideally smell a flowering plant before buying.
- When and how do you prune mock orange?
- Straight after flowering in July: cut spent shoots back to a young shoot and remove the oldest branches completely near the ground every few years. That keeps the shrub floriferous and open. Pruning in winter or spring removes the flower buds on last year's wood.