Mexican Orange

Mexican orange (Choisya ternata, Rutaceae) is a broadleaf evergreen shrub from the southwestern United States and Mexico, reaching 5 to 8 feet tall with a dense, rounded form. Trifoliate leaves (three glossy leaflets) emit a basil-like aromatic odor when crushed. Fragrant white flowers appear in terminal corymbs over an extended bloom period from May through September, with some repeat flowering.

Mexican orange grows in full sun on well-drained, acid, moist soil with shelter from cold winter winds, hardy in Zones 7a to 8b. It is rabbit-resistant and becomes drought tolerant once established. Prune after flowering. Ramorum leaf blight and shoot dieback is the primary disease concern; root and crown rot may occur in poor drainage. The cultivar 'Sundance' offers golden foliage at 5 feet.