Choisya
Choisya
Mexican orange blossom
- Position: full sun or partial shade
- Soil: well-drained soil
- Flowering period: May to June
- Height: 2-2,5m
- Foliage: evergreen
- Hardiness: fully hardy
Varieties
Choisya ternata
Choisya plants are well loved for their elegant, white flowers which appear in early summer. Choisya ternata looks good all year-round. It has glossy, aromatic, evergreen leaves and in early summer lovely star-shaped, white flowers
Choisya ternata ‘Sundance’
For striking bright, yellow foliage, try Choisya ternata ‘Sundance’. Excellent shrub for lightening up a shady area in the garden.
Choisya ternata Choisya ternata ‘Sundance’
Choisya x dewitteana ‘Aztec Pearl’
Choisya x dewitteana ‘Aztec Pearl’ and Choisya x dewitteana ‘White Dazzler’ are more compact varieties with smaller, slender, evergreen leaves.
‘Aztec Pearl’ has pink-tinged white flowers while ‘White Dazzler’ has white flowers. These shrubs can be grown in pots and in the ground.
Pruning Choisya plants
Cut back any frost-damaged stems to the base of the plant in April.
Summer pruning
Summer pruning choisya ( Mexican orange blossom). Cut back the top of the flowered stems by around 25-30cm after flowering to stimulate a second flush in late summer.
Drastic pruning
Drastic pruning. If a choisya plant gets too big, you can renovate it by drastic pruning. Do this job in April. Cut back all the stems just above the ground. Alternatively, tackle the job over 3 years. Cut out 1/3 of the oldest stems near ground level, then next year remove again 1/3 and so forth until you have completely renovated the shrub. Feed the shrub after drastic pruning to support new growth.
Choisya winter care
The foliage of choisya plants may be damaged by cold winds or frosts. If the weather turns cold, protect the leaves with a few layers of horticultural fleece.
Plant combination
Choisya goes well with shrubs such as Ceanothus , Hibiscus, Deutzia Buddleja davidii. You could also add Brunnera macrophylla and Salvia nemorosa.
Salvia nemorosa
