Murraya paniculata, also known as Mock Orange and Orange Jessamine, is a medium-large shrub with lush, glossy foliage and highly fragrant flowers. New foliage growth is light green, whereas older growth is a rich, dark green. It produces white, highly perfumed flowers in large masses in summer, but they can also spot flower throughout the year. Its scent is very reminiscent of other common white tropical flowers, and in our opinion, there’s no better smell!
How To Use
Murraya paniculata is an excellent option for hedging and screening and can also be planted in pots as a specimen tree or as screening on balconies. We’ve grown this here in raised garden beds on a rooftop garden to eventually form a hedge/ screen. Fun fact: it’s one of the most popular small evergreen hedging options in Sydney! We recently used this beautiful shrub in our Mt Waverley project – you can view the full rooftop garden here.
How To Plant
Plant in full sun or part shade and well-drained, rich, moist soil. The sunnier its position, the longer and heavier your flowering season will be. You can expect Murraya paniculata to grow to 2.5m high and 1.2m wide. If maintained, it can be kept to 1m high and 80cm wide.
Care and Maintenance
Prune after flowering to promote a dense growth habit and a more extended flowering season. It’s not frost tolerant, so be mindful of this when planting. It responds well to regular clipping and can be kept smaller if desired, as mentioned above.
