Scientific Name:
Choisya ternata
Pronunciation:
CHOY-zee-uh tur-NAY-tuh
Common Name:
Mexican mock orange
Family Name:
Rutaceae
Plant Type:
Broadleaf evergreen
Key ID Features:
Round evergreen shrub; leaves opposite, compound-palmate with 3(-5) glossy, leaflets mostly oblanceolate, 4-8cm long x 2-3cm wide, distinctive pungent, spicy orange or basil-like scent when crushed, oil glands visible when held up to light; florets about 2.5cm wide, 5 white petals, fragrant, mainly Apr.-May (may flower sporadically into Sept.).
Habit:
Dense
Form:
Round
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
2 - 3m
Mature Spread:
1.5 - 2.0m
Growth Rate:
Slow
Origin:
Mexico, U.S. - southwest
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 7: (-18 to -12 °C)
Exposure:
Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Accent plant, Fragrance, Group or mass planting, Hedge row, Mixed shrub border, Small garden/space, Spring interest, Winter interest, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown or on campus may include and C. 'Lich' (commonly known as Sundance mock orange with bright yellow to light green young foliage and rarely flowers). Compare to C. 'Aztec Pearl' (a floriferous hybrid with long, narrow leaflets - see separate entry).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Compound
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Lustrous, Distinctive smell
Compound Leaf:
Trifoliate (ternate)
Colour in Summer:
Green-yellow, Yellow
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Oblanceolate
Apices:
Obtuse
Bases:
Attenuate, Cuneate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Cyme
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White
Flower Scent:
Fragrant, Sweet
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Oct, Nov
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant, leathery
Bark Morphology:
Smooth, Multi-stem trunk
Bark or Stem Colour:
Tan
Propagation:
Seed, Greenwood cuttings, Softwood cuttings, Hardwood cuttings
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant, Drought tolerant)
Course(s):
- Level 3 Apprenticeship
Location(s):
- (FEA) Field lab Equipment Area : cv. Lich (Sundance)
- (GAZ) GAZebo
- (ONE) Overpass North side East : cv. Lich (Sundance) - check location