Side by side
Mock orange or deutzia? How to tell them apart
Philadelphus coronarius · Deutzia
How to tell them apart – mock orange: larger, four-petalled, strongly scented flowers and solid pith in the twigs; deutzia: shrub with rough, opposite leaves and in June masses of white or pink star-shaped flowers, hollow twigs and peeling bark.
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Rainer Bielefeld assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain · source
Mock orange Philadelphus coronarius
How do you recognise them?
- Mock orange
- Shrub with opposite, toothed leaves and white flowers in June with a heady orange-blossom scent.
- Compared with deutzia: larger, four-petalled, strongly scented flowers and solid pith in the twigs.
- Deutzia
- Shrub with rough, opposite leaves and in June masses of white or pink star-shaped flowers; hollow twigs and peeling bark.
| Mock orange | Deutzia | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Opposite, 4–8 cm, oval with a pointed tip, finely toothed, with 3–5 veins running from the base to the tip. | Opposite, 3–10 cm, oval to lanceolate, finely toothed; rough as sandpaper because of star-shaped hairs. |
| Flowering | Creamy white flowers (3 cm) with four petals and yellow stamens, in June; double forms too (June). | Clusters of white or pink, five-petalled, often star-shaped flowers (1–2 cm) in May–June; double in some forms (May–June). |
| Fruit | Small brown capsules. | Small, globular capsules. |
| Bark | Brown twigs; older stems with peeling bark. | Brown bark that peels in strips; older twigs are hollow. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 2–3 m | Shrub, 1–2.5 m |
| Site | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees | – |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | July | June–July |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have: see the growing conditions in the table.
Read on
- Plant profile: Mock orange
- Plant profile: Deutzia
- Mock orange: when and how to prune
- Deutzia: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.