When to plant and prune Mexican Orange Blossom
Mexican Orange Blossom flowers from early May to late June and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Mexican Orange Blossom is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | late March to mid May | early May to late June | mid April to early May |
| South Coast and Channel | late March to mid May | early May to late June | mid April to early May |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | late March to mid May | early May to late June | mid April to early May |
| South East and Home Counties | late March to mid May | early May to late June | mid April to early May |
| East Anglia | late March to mid May | early May to late June | mid April to early May |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late March to mid May | early May to late June | mid April to early May |
| Wales and West Coast | late March to mid May | early May to late June | mid April to early May |
| Northern England | late March to mid May | early May to late June | mid April to early May |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late March to mid May | early May to late June | mid April to early May |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late March to mid May | early May to late June | mid April to early May |
| Northern Ireland | late March to mid May | early May to late June | mid April to early May |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | late March to mid May | early May to late June | mid April to early May |
Growing notes
Rounded evergreen with glossy aromatic leaves and scented white flowers in spring, often with a second flush in summer. 'White Dazzler' stays around 1.5m while the species and gold-leaved 'Sundance' reach about 2.5m each way. Useful for year-round structure in a mixed border or a large pot.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 200 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 250 cm
- Eventual spread
- 250 cm
- Hardiness
- H4
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 45 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 3 out of 5
Pruning: what to avoid
Wait until mid-April to prune, once hard frost has passed - earlier pruning pushes out soft regrowth that frost then kills back, causing dieback. If the plant is already in bud, leave it until flowering is over.
Pruning group
Little pruning needed; where required prune before growth starts in mid-spring (April) once the risk of frost has passed, or delay until flowering has finished
Winter protection
Most choisyas are hardy but prefer a warm, sheltered position out of cold winds; in exposed gardens expect some winter leaf scorch.
What usually goes wrong
- stem dieback from frost damage
- scale insects
- red spider mite
- snails grazing the leaves
- verticillium wilt
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for mexican orange blossom.