Mexican Orange

Mexican orange is the broadleaf evergreen shrub that fills a garden with the scent of orange blossoms from May into September. The flowers are white, fragrant, and produced in clusters at the branch tips, appearing in waves through the growing season on a dense, rounded shrub that reaches five to eight feet. The foliage is glossy, compound, and aromatic when crushed, three leaflets per leaf, each one rounded and bright green. Native to the mountains of Mexico, it has become a staple of mild-climate gardens worldwide. The cultivar 'Sundance' is selected for chartreuse to golden-yellow new growth that slowly fades to green.

Mexican orange is rated Zone 7a through 8b, which puts most of the Puget Sound lowlands in range, but borderline cold hardiness means site selection matters. A protected spot against a building, a south-facing wall, or under high canopy that moderates frost will carry it through our typical winters. The occasional arctic outbreak can damage or kill exposed plants. One disease is tracked, and pest pressure is minimal. Give it full sun for the best flowering and foliage color, well-drained soil, and moderate moisture through summer. 'Sundance' brightens shaded entries and north-facing borders where the golden foliage catches and reflects ambient light. For fragrance, evergreen structure, and repeat bloom, Mexican orange delivers a lot of value in a five-to-eight-foot package.