Side by side
Mock orange or common jasmine? How to tell them apart
Philadelphus coronarius · Jasminum officinale
How to tell them apart – mock orange: a shrub without twining stems, with simple leaves and large white flowers with 4 petals; common jasmine: twining climber with pinnate leaves and white, star-shaped, intensely fragrant flowers in summer.
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 common jasmine: a shrub without twining stems, with simple leaves and large white flowers with 4 petals.
- Common jasmine
- Twining climber with pinnate leaves and white, star-shaped, intensely fragrant flowers in summer.
| Mock orange | Common jasmine | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Opposite, 4–8 cm, oval with a pointed tip, finely toothed, with 3–5 veins running from the base to the tip. | Opposite, pinnate with 5–9 pointed leaflets of 1–6 cm; partly evergreen in mild winters. |
| Flowering | Creamy white flowers (3 cm) with four petals and yellow stamens, in June; double forms too (June). | White flowers (2 cm) with a long tube and 4–5 lobes, in loose clusters, June–September; strongly scented, especially in the evening (June–August). |
| Fruit | Small brown capsules. | Small black berries; rare here. |
| Bark | Brown twigs; older stems with peeling bark. | Green, angular, twining twigs that become woody at the base. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 2–3 m | Climber, twines to 4–6 m |
| Site | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal | Full sun, 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 | March and September |
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: Common jasmine
- Mock orange: when and how to prune
- Common jasmine: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.