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Mock Orange
Ask the Expert: Flowering Tree/Shrub Identification
The attached tree/shrub is in our backyard. It’s bloomed for the first time this year (this month) and I’ve had no luck identifying it. Any ideas? Any suggestions on care? The blooms are sparse, can I do anything to coax additional blooms in future years?
Philadelphus
Thank you. Aubrey
Plant Expert reply:
I believe what you have is a member of the genus Styrax commonly referred to as snowbells. There are several spiecies like
Styrax americanus (American Snowbells), Styrax grandifolius (bigleaf snowbells), Styrax japonicus (Japansese snowbells). What you have is either Styrax officinalis or Styrax japonicus.
Styrax
During the growing season use a well-balanced fertilizer once a month. This should help with the blooms for next year as well as the health of the plant this year. These plants bloom on previous and current year’s growth and will need minimal pruning. You can prune these in late winter or early spring when dormant. Over pruning can keep plants from blooming.
I stand corrected. Jason commented that Aubrey’s plant was a mock orange and not a snowbell. I sent this message to Aubrey:
We had someone on the blog you believe your plant is a mock orange instead of a snowbell. One way for us to determine which identification is correct is to discuss fragrance. Did the plant have a sweet fragrance when blooming? Also if you have a picture of it in full bloom could you please send it.
Aubrey replied this morning
The blooms look much more like the mock orange, now that I’ve looked it up. I only had 3 blooms this year, and they are gone now (this is the first time it’s ever bloomed). The blooms had a pleasant fragrance, slightly sweet.
I’m hoping a bit a fertilizer will results in a full bloom next year.
Thanks.
Aubrey
Since the plant had a fragrance and Aubrey believed the actual blooms looked like a mock orange, the plant must be a mock orange. I have changed the name on the original photos to mock orange – Philadelphus. I have also attached a picture of a snowbell.
Thanks Jason for correctly identifying the plant.
The shrub in question is actually the sweet mockorange. Philadelphus sps. double form. They are decidiuous shrubs that grow to about 6ft in height with sweetly fragrant flowers in mid spring to early summer. They bloom on previous seasons wood so try not to prune too much in the fall and early spring.
Jason,
I still think it is a snowbell. This is why – snowbells have pendent, where as mock orange have horizontal blooms. Also, the size of the bloom in relation to the leaves looks more like a snowbell. But I see your point the leaves look a little like mock orange leaves. Very perplexing.
Sometimes it is hard to make a good identification from just a picture.
One way to see is to ask Aubrey if the plant was fragrant.
Thanks for your identification. It is nice to have some verify whether or not my identification is correct.
Styraxes are fragrant too! But what she has is definitely a mock orange.