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Pruning guide · Shrub
Mock orange: when and how to prune
Philadelphus coronarius
Prune mock orange straight after flowering, in July: every year, cut a quarter of the oldest stems off at ground level, but never prune in winter, or you’ll cut off next year’s flowers.
In June, mock orange is covered in creamy white flowers with a heavy scent of orange blossom. It flowers on the shoots that grew the previous summer. Left unpruned, it becomes a dense clump of old wood that only flowers at the top; pruned in winter, it loses exactly those flowers. With a single pruning straight after flowering, it stays young and free-flowering, and its scent stays at nose height, by the patio or the open window.
| Pruning months | July |
|---|---|
| Nesting season (15 March–15 August) | Take care in July |
| Flowering | June |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted |
Mock orange: when to prune it?
Prune straight after flowering, in July, as soon as the last flowers have faded. The new shoots then have the rest of the summer to grow and form flower buds for next year.
Don’t wait until late summer or autumn: the later you prune, the shorter the new shoots stay, and the fewer flowers you will have next year.
Don’t prune in winter or early spring: the stems already carry the June flowers by then. So leave the shrub alone in winter.
What else to prune in those months? July
Mock orange: how to prune it?
- Recognise the old wood: older stems are thick, with peeling bark, and much branched. Young stems are straight and light brown, and flower most freely.
- Every year, cut or saw a quarter of the oldest stems off as close to the ground as possible. Strong new stems will then grow up from the base.
- Cut faded shoots back to a strong, young side shoot. It takes their place and will flower next year.
- Remove dead, weak and crossing stems, and stems hanging over a path. Let the shrub keep its loose shape with gently arching stems: never clip it into a ball.
- Rejuvenate an old, bare shrub over two or three years: after flowering each time, remove a third of the oldest stems. That way it still flowers a little every year.
- Take summer cuttings while you prune: 10–15 cm pieces of young shoots root in a pot of sandy compost, under plastic.
How much to cut, and how often?
- One pruning a year, straight after flowering, is enough. Simply let a young shrub grow for its first two or three years.
- A quarter of the oldest stems every year: after four years the shrub has been completely renewed, without ever looking bare.
- Too big for its spot? Then take out more old stems at the base rather than trimming it all over, or choose a compact variety when planting a new one.
What does it mean for wildlife?
- Pruning in July falls in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Blackbirds, song thrushes and dunnocks nest in a dense mock orange: look carefully first, as disturbing an active nest is against the law. Spare the part around a nest and deal with it next year.
- Honeybees, bumblebees and hoverflies visit the flowers in June. In double flowers they struggle to reach the pollen: for insects, choose a single-flowered form.
- Ladybirds and tits usually clear up the blackfly on the young shoot tips in spring. Don’t spray poison, certainly not during flowering.
- Mock orange is not a native shrub. Plant native shrubs with it, such as dog rose or guelder rose, and put the prunings on a dead hedge: a shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.
Common mistakes
- Pruning in winter or early spring, so the flower buds are gone and it hardly flowers in June.
- Clipping the shrub all over every year, so it only flowers a little on the outside.
- Never removing old stems, so it goes bare at the base and only flowers at the top.
- Cutting an old shrub right down to the ground in one go, so there are hardly any flowers for a year or two.
- Pruning in July without checking for nests first.
Caution: Don’t prune in winter: you’d cut off next year’s flowers.
Nearby: related pruning guides
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Plant profile: Mock orange · Pruning calendar and basic rules