| Common Name | Mock orange |
| Genus | Philadelphus |
| Species | various |
| Family | Hydrangeaceae |
| Life Cycle | deciduous shrub |
| Bundle Size | 10 bare roots per bundle |
| Care | All of these plants will ship to you from Vermont in early April. They will be just coming out of dormancy. You may see swelling buds or a bit of new growth, but in general they will be in a dormant state and may look a little dead. Don't worry! They will wake up. You may see a bit of mold on the roots but this is completely normal. Simply wash it off and plant immediately. As a precaution you can treat the roots with a fungicide or biofungicide, but this isn't necessary. Small broken branches are also of little concern. Just prune off any broken bits and the plant will recover quickly. The root system is the important part at this stage in the game. If you can't plant immediately on arrival store your bare roots in the cooler.The cold will delay their growth. Keep them from freezing. You can either pot them into 1 gallon pots or plant them directly into your prepared soil. Just make sure to plant them within a few days of arrival. They are waking up and are ready to grow, and they will decline quickly if they are not given soil, water and sunshine. This is a carefully orchestrated process to get plants quickly from their storage conditions to you so please do your part and be ready to plant them on arrival. There is no reason that these plants will experience any stress if you prepare for their arrival. |
| Netting / Staking | None |
| Hardiness |
Zones 4-7 |
| Spacing | 4' apart, mature height 7-8' |
| Soil Preference | Generally fertile, well drained. Not overly picky. |
| Light | Full sun to part shade. |
| Water | Adaptable to a range of conditions, preferring a generally moist and fertile soil. |
| When to Plant | Spring, when the ground is workable. |
| Harvesting | Harvest when first buds are just starting to open. Expect approximately 5 stems in year 1, 15 stems in year 2 and 20+ stems year 3 and beyond. |
| Post Harvest Care | Post Harvest guide coming soon |
| Diseases / Insects | No significant pests or disease. |
| Bailey's Notes |
Philadelphus or Mock Orange is one of the loveliest old fashioned shrubs that many of us have never grown. One of my absolute favorites. They bloom following lilac and snowball viburnum season, increasing the harvest season of flowering branches. Philadelphus will flower best on the previous year's growth. Prune after flowering to stimulate strong new growth. Snowwhite Fantasy has the unique ability to flower on new growth as well as old growth so you will likely see some flowers later in the season after the main harvest. In my experience these stems are bit shorter but are still usable for bouquet work. Also if you have a late freeze or a brutal winter that kills the flower buds you have a second chance at harvest as the new growth will flower. The fragrance is divine, smelling not unlike citrus flowers, hence the common name. |
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