Philadelphus schrenkii is a large shrub native to Korea, northern and northeastern China, and the southern Russian Far East. It's one of the earlier mock oranges to bloom, with fragrant white four-petaled flowers in clusters of five to seven. It isn't native to the US, which has its own wild mock oranges, such as Lewis's mock orange, Idaho's state flower. It's sometimes called Korean mock orange.
Appearance
- Growth form
- An upright deciduous shrub, usually about 6–13 ft (2–4 m) tall. Young shoots are brown and slightly hairy, and the bark peels on second-year twigs.
- Leaves
- Opposite, oval, and slender-pointed with a few small teeth, about 1 1/2–4 1/2 in (4–11 cm) long on vigorous shoots and smaller on flowering shoots.
- Flowers
- White, about 1 1/4–1 1/2 in (3–4 cm) across, with four petals, in short clusters of five to seven. The flower stalks and calyx are hairy, and the is usually hairy at the base.
Look-alikes
DeutziasDeutzia
Count the petals: mock oranges have four, deutzias have five.
Why they get mixed upBoth are spring shrubs in the hydrangea family with clusters of white flowers.
Where it lives
- Range
- Native to Korea, northern and northeastern China, and the southern Russian Far East. Not native to North America; it has been grown in gardens since 1874.
Growing it
- Care
- A US garden shrub rated hardy in USDA zones 5–8 by the Chicago Botanic Garden. It grows in full sun or part shade and wants consistently moist but well-drained soil.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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