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Rutaceae
Mexican Orange Blossom
Choisya ternata
Sweet surprises and aromatic elegance.
- Family
- Rutaceae
- Genus
- Choisya
- Native to
- Mexico
- Bloom season
- Late Spring, Early Summer
- Type
- evergreen shrub
- Height
- 150–250 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- well-drained, moderately fertile
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 7–10
- Lifespan
- perennial shrub; 20+ years
Did you know
- The crushed leaves smell of basil and orange — the entire plant is aromatic, not just the flowers.
- Named after Swiss botanist Jacques Denis Choisy, who cataloged the genus in the early 19th century.
- It often produces a second flush of bloom in late summer if the first flowers are deadheaded promptly.
- The glossy trifoliate leaves are evergreen and provide structure in the winter garden long after blooms fade.
- It thrives in British gardens despite its Mexican origin and has won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Color meanings
White
bridal purity and fragrant promises