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Choisya ternata

Common name:	Mexican Orange Flower	Family:	Rutaceae
Author:	Kunth.	Botanical references:	11, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Southern N. America - Mexico.
Habitat:	Chalky soils, often near the sea[244].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Mexican Orange Blossom [H],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	ternata = in threes;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Sapindales. Rue family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Mexico

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 3m by 3m at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 7. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to August. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil and can tolerate drought. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Hedge, Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Deep Shade.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Hedge.

Plants can be grown as an informal hedge, they also respond well to clipping and so can be grown in a more formal manner[29].

Cultivation details

Requires an open sunny but sheltered position[11]. Plants can be damaged by cold winds[219]. Plants grow equally well whether in full sun or in deep shade[202]. They succeed in most soils[202], but prefer a rather light loam[1, 11]. They require a well-drained soil, tolerating drought once established and atmospheric pollution[184].
A very ornamental plant[1], it usually survives very severe winters in Britain but can be damaged in spells of lesser cold, especially in the New Year[11]. Plants are normally undamaged at temperatures around -10°c but can be defoliated at -15°c[184]. Whole branches have a habit of dying for no apparent reason[182].
The Mexican orange flower is moderately fast growing when young, but it soon slows down with age[202]. The plants are very tolerant of pruning and can be cut right back to the ground if required[202]. Pruning is generally unnecessary for this species, apart from cutting out frost-damaged wood[219].
Some named forms have been selected for their ornamental value[188].
The flowers appear mainly in late spring[188, 219], but plants can produce a few flowers in the autumn[188]. They often also flower intermittently all through the summer[219]. The flowers are borne at the shoot tips[219].
The crushed foliage has a pungent aromatic scent of oranges[202, 245] and the flowers are sweetly fragrant with the powerful aroma of orange blossom[219, 245].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse[200]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 6 - 8cm long, early July in gentle heat in individual pots in a frame[11, 78]. High percentage[78].
Cuttings of almost ripe wood, 10 - 15cm with a heel, August in a frame. Good percentage. Plant out in spring[78].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers are sweetly fragrant with a heavy orange-blossom perfume.
Leaves: Crushed: The crushed foliage has a pungent orange scent.

Cultivars

'': There are some named forms for this species, but these have been developed for their ornamental value and not for their other uses. Unless you particularly require the special characteristics of any of these cultivars, we would generally recommend that you grow the natural species for its useful properties. We have, therefore, not listed the cultivars in this database[K].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Rutaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[29] Shepherd. F.W. Hedges and Screens. Royal Horticultural Society. 1974 ISBN 0900629649
A small but informative booklet giving details of all the hedging plants being grown in the R.H.S. gardens at Wisley in Surrey.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[184] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[202] Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990 ISBN 0-670-82929-3
Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.

[219] Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.

[244] Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990 ISBN 0-330-30725-8
Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.