June 2004
Orange Jasmine or Mock Orange – Murraya paniculata
Origin: Asia
Imagine the sweet aroma of a blossoming orange grove. You can have that smell naturally in your own home with orange jasmine (also known as mock orange.) This easy to grow subtropical plant produces numerous small strongly scented white orange blossom-like flowers and red berries throughout the year. The fragrance is very noticeable within several feet of the plant.
A member of the orange family, orange jasmine has attractive, glossy green foliage and tolerates many conditions. It works equally well as a houseplant, for bonsai, or to plant in your garden if you happen to live in zones 9-11. A versatile plant, orange jasmine can be sheared into topiary, used as a hedge, as an accent plant, or pruned into a small tree.
Orange jasmine has a rapid growth rate when the plants are young. However, it does slow down with age. This nifty plant prefers full sun but will grow in part shade and also isn't picky about soil type.
So why not give you and your pets olfactory senses a treat and try growing some orange jasmine?