Mock Orange
Philadelphus coronarius
Family Hydrangeaceae
For two weeks in early summer, mock orange out-perfumes everything else you could plant — pure white flowers releasing a scent uncannily close to true orange blossom, strong enough to drift through open windows. Whole generations sited one by the porch for exactly that fortnight.
The rest of the year it's a modest green shrub the bees remember fondly — which is the honest case for it: an heirloom you plant for a door, a path, a window, not a focal point. Compact modern forms fit small gardens. Put one where you'll pass daily.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Moderate water
Moderate growth
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing mock orange? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries mock orange — Philadelphus coronarius, print Nº 307, “Mock Orange.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it thrive where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what mock orange actually needs.
Hardy inZones 4-8Mock Orange · Common problems
Common mock orange problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Mock Orange · Growing & propagation
Growing mock orange
- Light
- Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water
- Moderate
Soil- Any well-drained · pH 6.0 - 7.5
Fertilizer- Light spring feed
Pruning- Right after flowering (blooms on old wood)
An old-fashioned shrub grown for one glorious thing: its white early-summer flowers smell exactly like orange blossom, perfuming the whole garden for a couple of weeks. Tough and adaptable, it's a green backdrop the rest of the year, so tuck it where the fragrance carries (by a path or window) and prune right after bloom. Modern compact types fit smaller yards.
Spacing- 5-8 ft
How to plant & propagate mock orange
- Propagate
- Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering
Mock Orange · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Mock Orange · Yearly calendar
The mock orange year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomMay to June
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Mock Orange · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Philadelphus coronarius
Mock Orange in the garden system
- Shrub layer shrub
- Nectary/insectary
Attracts- Bees
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What mock orange is grown for
✓ Not known to be toxic
Use- Intense fragrance
- Use
- Old-fashioned shrub
- Use
- Pollinators
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Mock Orange · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a mock orange variety
'Snowbelle' (double, compact); 'Miniature Snowflake'; 'Aureus' (gold leaf); 'Natchez' (large)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Mock Orange
Philadelphus coronarius
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Philadelphus coronarius
- Plant family
- Hydrangeaceae
- Growth habit
- Shrub · Perennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- PHCO7
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
for Mock Orange
Research from these sources
Publisher marks identify sources, not sponsorship or endorsement.
Questions
Mock Orange questions, answered straight.
Is mock orange safe for kids and pets?
Mock Orange is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
How do you propagate mock orange?
Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering.
Elsewhere
Where mock orange sits in the library.
Rose
Hydrangea
Common Lilac
Forsythia