Shrub
Mexican orange blossom
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers | Flowers in April | Flowers in May | Flowers in September | Flowers in October | ||||||||
| Plant | Plant in April | Plant in May | Plant in September | |||||||||
| Prune | Prune in June | |||||||||||
| Looks good | Looks good in January | Looks good in February | Looks good in March | Looks good in April | Looks good in May | Looks good in June | Looks good in July | Looks good in August | Looks good in September | Looks good in October | Looks good in November | Looks good in December |
Overview
The glossy leaves, divided into three leaflets, smell faintly of citrus and herbs when crushed, and the starry white flowers carry a sweet orange-blossom scent in April and May. Plants often bloom again in late summer or autumn. 'Sundance' has bright yellow foliage that lights up a dull corner, while 'Aztec Pearl' and 'White Dazzler' have slender, fingered leaves and a more delicate look.
Where to grow mexican orange blossom
A warm, sheltered spot in sun or partial shade is ideal. Cold, drying winds can brown the leaves, so avoid exposed corners in northern gardens. Yellow-leaved forms scorch in hot sun but go lime-green in deep shade, so dappled light shows them off best.
Planting
Plant in spring or early autumn into fertile, free-draining soil with some compost worked in. Choisya grows happily in large containers on a patio, where the scent can be enjoyed close up.
Care through the year
Spring
Mulch around the roots and apply a balanced fertiliser as growth starts.
Summer
Water pots regularly and border plants during long dry spells, especially in the first year.
Autumn
Look out for a second round of blossom and keep containers watered until it rains reliably.
Winter
Protect young plants in cold areas with fleece during prolonged hard frost.
Pruning
Trim lightly straight after the spring flowers fade, shortening any stems that spoil the dome shape. Frost-damaged shoots can be cut back to healthy wood in late spring. Old, leggy plants respond to hard pruning, which costs a season of flowers.
Propagation
Take semi-ripe cuttings in late summer, 10 cm long, and root them in a mix of compost and grit under cover. They are usually ready to pot on the following spring.
Common problems
Yellowing leaves usually point to cold damage, waterlogged roots or a lack of nutrients on thin soil rather than disease. Snails sometimes shelter in the dense growth and graze young shoots. Choisya is otherwise refreshingly free of serious pests.
Something else wrong? Diagnose it by symptom.
Month-by-month reminders
Jobs for this plant come round in April, May, June and September. Each month page lists everything else worth doing in the garden at the same time.
Related plants
Sources
Botanical names follow Kew's Plants of the World Online; growing attributes were checked against the references below. Text is our own. See our editorial policy.