Plant Detail

Choisya ternata (Mexican Orange Blossom)

Mexican Orange Blossom, Mexican Orange Flower, Mexican Orange, Choisya Grandiflora

Fabulously fragrant, Choisya ternata (Mexican Orange Blossom) is a very handsome, rounded, evergreen, dense shrub with aromatic, glossy, medium green leaves composed of 3 leaflets. A profusion of fragrant, star-shaped, pure white flowers bloom from late spring to early summer and often intermittently throughout the summer and/or in the fall. Rich in nectar, they are greatly appreciated by bees and butterflies. Both flowers and leaves have the divine fragrance of orange blossoms. Native to the southwestern U.S. and Mexico.

  • Awarded the prestigious Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society
  • Grows in a rounded medium-sized, shrub up to 4-8 ft. high (120-240 cm) and wide.
  • Easily grown in fertile, well-drained soils in full sun. Provide a sheltered location, protected from cold winter winds.
  • Drought tolerant and rabbit resistant
  • Great for wall-side borders, shrub borders, hedges, city gardens or even containers (in areas north of USDA zone 7, the plant will be brought indoors in winter)
  • Virtually disease free, this plant may be affected by glasshouse red spider mite or by snails
  • Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings
  • Prune stems immediately after flowering to encourage an additional rebloom

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Requirement
Hardiness 8,9,10
Heat Zones 7,8,9
Climate Zones 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Plant Type Shrubs
Plant Family Rutaceae 
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Summer, Fall, Early Summer, Mid Summer, Late Summer
Height 4' - 5', 5' - 6', 6' - 7', 7' - 8'
Spread 4' - 5', 5' - 6', 6' - 7', 7' - 8'
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand, Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Characteristics Fragrant, Plant of Merit, Showy, Evergreen, Attracts Butterflies, Drought Tolerant, Rabbit Tolerant
Garden Styles City and Courtyard, Mediterranean Garden
Planting Place Hedges and Screens, Patio and Containers, Wall-Side Borders