Mock orange (Philadelphus × virginalis): when and how to prune

Mock orange (Philadelphus × virginalis): when to prune it?

JFMAMJJASOND

Straight after flowering, in July: it flowers on last year’s wood.

What else to prune in those months? July

Mock orange (Philadelphus × virginalis): how to prune it?

1. Cut flowered stems back to a young, strong side shoot.
2. Each year, saw out one or two of the oldest, thickest stems just above ground level.
3. Keep the young shoots from the base: they will carry next year’s flowers.
4. Renovate a neglected shrub over three years by removing a third of the old stems each time.

How much to cut, and how often?

• One pruning period a year: July.
• Prune in moderation: never remove more than about a third of the shrub at once.

What does it mean for wildlife?

• Pruning in July can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
• Mock orange (Philadelphus × virginalis) flowers in June–July, when it attracts bees.
• If pruning falls during flowering, wait until it is over or leave part of the plant to flower, so bees and butterflies still benefit.
• Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Common mistakes

• Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
• Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Nearby: related pruning guides

• Mock orange
• Lemoine’s mock orange (Philadelphus × lemoinei)
• Barberry
• Blackthorn
• Californian lilac
• Deutzia

Plant profile: Mock orange (Philadelphus × virginalis) · Pruning calendar and basic rules