Illustration
Mock Orange
Philadelphus
Mock Orange blooms from May through June.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Mock Orange
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–8. Expect it to reach about 8 ft tall and 6.5 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 4 years (not yet checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Mock Orange
Plant Mock Orange in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 8, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from May to June.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Mock Orange get?
8 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult6.5 ftwideSee Mock Orange in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Mock Orange
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Mock Orange about 6.5 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Mock Orange to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Mock Orange's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 8 published sources on July 30, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical GardenPhiladelphus 'Belle Etoile'height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionPhiladelphus coronariusheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionPhiladelphus x virginalisheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- The Morton Arboretumsweet mock-orange, Philadelphus coronariusheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- trees.umn.eduUniversity of Minnesota UFOR Nursery & Lab (Mock orange, Philadelphus...height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- University of Illinois ExtensionSweet Mockorange, Philadelphus coronariusheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- University of Minnesota ExtensionMockorange, Philadelphus spp.height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Society (Philadelphus, genus grow guide)sun and trait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 6 varieties
Same genus, similar care - pick the variety you are growing.
Compare every variety in the Mock Orange group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Étoile | White | May–Jun | Zones 5–8 | Full sun | 5 ft × 5 ft |
| Golden | White | May–Jun | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 6.5 ft × 6 ft |
| Miniature Snowflake | White | May–Jun | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 3 ft × 3 ft |
| Mockthis page | White | May–Jun | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 8 ft × 6.5 ft |
| Natchez | White | May–Jun | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 8 ft × 6.5 ft |
| Snow White Sensation | White | May–Jul | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 5 ft × 5 ft |
| Snowbelle | White | May–Jun | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 4 ft × 4 ft |
Good to know about Mock Orange
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
True mock orange (Philadelphus) is non-toxic, but the name is shared by poisonous look-alikes like Carolina laurelcherry, so confirm the botanical name before trusting it near pets. per NC State and ASPCA
Fragrance varies by cultivar
The old species and single-flowered forms smell intensely of orange blossom, but some newer double or showy cultivars trade much of that scent for bigger blooms. per NC State and Arkansas
Size depends on cultivar
The old species grows big, about 10 to 12 ft tall, but bred garden forms range from 2 to 10 ft, so check your cultivar's mature size. per NC State and Minnesota
Prune right after flowering
It blooms on old wood, setting next year's buds the prior season, so prune right after the flowers fade, by about July; a later cut removes those buds. per NC State
Renew leggy plants gradually
To fight legginess, cut about a third of the oldest canes to the ground each year after flowering; younger wood replaces the old framework over roughly three years. per Iowa State
Few serious pests
One of its main selling points: no serious pests or diseases, just occasional minor aphids, scale, leaf spot, or powdery mildew that rarely need treatment. per NC State and Minnesota
Feeds night pollinators
The night-fragrant flowers draw bees, butterflies, and especially moths and bats; the western native cousin P. lewisii is also valued by native bees. per NC State and Lady Bird Johnson
What pairs well with Mock Orange
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Black-Eyed Susan
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Blazing Star
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Sneezeweed
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Hyacinth
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; low at 10 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Passionflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; climbs to 13 ft behind it, height without the footprint.
Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Eastern Redbud
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 23 ft, for the layer behind it.
Crocosmia
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; lower at 3 ft, for the front of the border.
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Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.