Mock orange (Philadelphus): planting, cuttings and pruning

Updated on 22 September 2026Published on 20 March 2018

Cream-white flowers, single or double, open across late spring and early summer and send a persistent, appealing scent through the whole garden: that is mock-orange (Philadelphus), a hardy shrub asking very little care. Give it light, well-drained soil and prune it each year after flowering, and it keeps flowering instead of growing sparse.

Mock-orange at a glance
Name	Philadelphus
Family	Hydrangeaceae
Type	shrub
Height	3 to 10 feet (1 to 3 m)
Exposure	full sun, part sun
Soil	ordinary
Foliage	deciduous
Flowering	late spring and early summer

Planting, pruning and caring for mock-orange support its development and help avoid diseases.

Read also: Irresistible mock-orange

Planting mock-orange

It is a good idea to plant your mock-orange in fall but you can also plant in spring if you’re able to water regularly the first year after planting.

Choose a mostly sunny spot, but not too hot.
Mock-orange even tolerates part sun only, especially in warm areas.
It likes light and well drained soil, and hates waterlogged soil.
Follow our tips on planting shrubs.

Propagating mock-orange, technique and timing

Mock-orange is easy to propagate through cuttings, it is even the easiest way overall to produce new mock-orange trees.

Propagate your cuttings from hard wood during the month of late winter.
Propagate your cuttings from young shoots in spring and until early summer.

Pruning and caring for mock-orange

Mock-orange, if properly settled in, only requires quite little care and attention.

How to trim mock-orange

Mock-orange best copes with being pruned every year, so that young branches have a chance of growing and old wood is eliminated.

After the blooming, prune the year’s new growth back to half its length.
That helps renew the vigor of your mock-orange and stimulate the next blooming.
Cut at their base the oldest branches more or less every 3 years.
Also eliminate dead stems and any weak ones you might see.

Watering mock-orange

As for watering, mock-orange must be watered in case of high temperatures and/or of extended dry spell.

It signals that it needs water when the leaves start drooping slightly and feel softer to the touch.

Potted mock-orange must normally be watered much more often than that planted in the ground.

Water as soon as the soil is dry down to about an inch (a couple centimeters).

All year long, it is important to clear around the foot of the mock-orange to remove weeds and ensure the water drains well around the roots.

To grow a magnificent mock-orange

Adding all-purpose fertilizer in spring will boost growth, blooming and make the leafage magnificent.

Plant in the dormant season, mid-autumn to late winter

Learn more about mock-orange

This very beautiful shrub blooms in early summer, but often even starts in late spring.

It then emits a persistent and appealing fragrance in the entire garden, and also has the advantage of being quite hardy.

It only requires very little care, and can make do in any spot of your garden.

Mock-orange gave rise to many different hybrids, either with simple or double flowers, for the greatest pleasure of the eyes and the nose!

Expect your mock-orange, whatever the species, to grow more and more sparse as years go by.

A few of the most interesting mock-orange varieties

Most common is Philadelphus burfordensis – White and fragrant flowers in early summer to midsummer
Philadelphus coronarius – Cream-white blooming, very fragrant, in early summer
Philadelphus purpureomaculatus ‘Belle étoile’ – White flower with a red spot in the center
and finally Philadelphus virginalis ‘Natchez’ – Large white flower, fruity fragrance

Single-flowered types release the most perfume

Which mock-orange to choose?

All mock-oranges are easy-going, but they differ in flower type, foliage and bulk — and single-flowered ones carry the most perfume. Here are the varieties you are most likely to find on sale.

Which mock-orange to choose?
Variety	Flower type	Foliage or special feature	Scent	Size band
‘Belle Étoile’	Single, white with purple centre	Plain green, arching stems	Very strong	Medium
‘Beauclerk’	Single, broad white petals	Spreading habit, pink-flushed eye	Strong	Medium
‘Sybille’	Single white, purple-stained base	Arching, low-spreading	Strong	Dwarf to medium
‘Aureus’	Single creamy white	Bright golden-yellow leaves	Strong	Medium
‘Innocence’	Single white	Cream-variegated leaves	Strong	Medium to tall

Whichever species you choose, expect the shrub to grow more sparse as the years go by.

Insects, parasites and mock-orange shrub diseases

Mock-orange shrub with bumblebee — Rarely sick, and resistant to most fungus

Mock-orange isn’t often sick, and resists particularly well to most fungus and diseases.

However, it can happen that parasites will attack it, like aphids and mealybugs or scale insects.

Here is how to keep aphids away.
And here is how to fight scale insects.

Sticky leaves and a black sooty film on the foliage below mean aphids or scale are feeding above, since both excrete honeydew that moulds grow on.

Avoid spraying anything while the mock-orange is in flower, because its scented blossom draws bees and bumblebees in numbers; treat before the buds open or once the petals have dropped.

Mock-orange year by year: when to plant, prune and feed

Mock-orange asks for very little, but each job has its moment. Here is what the article recommends, and when.

Mock-orange year by year: when to plant, prune and feed
Task	When	What to do
Planting	mid-autumn to late winter (dormant stage)	Roots extend at a leisurely pace and the shrub can bloom in its first year
Transplanting a container plant	Once vegetation slows	Wait for growth to slow before moving it out of its container
First pruning	After three years, once flowering is over	Let it grow wild and free, then prune after the blooming
Pruning for flowers and shape	After each blooming	Shorten the branches that have bloomed by quite a lot
Renewing the clump	When old wood crowds the base	Remove older branches that hinder the fresh shoots rising from the base
Feeding	After the blooming, before fall	Apply a magnesium and potassium-rich fertilizer to prepare new flower buds

Frequently Asked Questions

When does mock-orange flower?

Flowering falls in late spring and early summer, usually peaking in early summer but often starting as early as May. During that spell the shrub sends a persistent, appealing fragrance through the whole garden. Some varieties, such as Philadelphus burfordensis, carry on into midsummer.

When and how should I prune mock-orange?

Prune every year, straight after the blooming, cutting the season’s new growth back to half its length. This renews the shrub’s vigour and stimulates the next flowering. Every three years or so, cut the oldest branches right back at their base, and take out dead or weak stems as you find them.

How do you propagate mock-orange?

Cuttings are the easiest way of all to raise new plants. Take hardwood cuttings during late winter, or cuttings from young shoots from spring through to early summer. No other method is needed, as mock-orange roots readily.

Where should I plant mock-orange, and does it need watering?

Choose a mostly sunny spot that does not get too hot; part sun alone is tolerated, especially in warm areas. The soil should be light and well drained, as the shrub hates waterlogging. Water only in high temperatures or a long dry spell — drooping, softer leaves are the signal — while potted plants need watering as soon as the top inch of soil is dry.

Smart tip about mock-orange

Mock-orange will love it if you give it fertilizer in spring, especially when you feel it weakening.

See also:

Written by Gaspard Lorthiois | Loves helping out, especially when it comes to growing things. Worked in herbal medicine, runs a farm, and dabbles in tech. Master's degree and engineer.

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