Mock Orange

Mock orange (Murraya paniculata) is the hedge most Australian gardeners reach for when they want something other than a lilly pilly. It grows to about 3m tall and 2.5m wide unpruned, holds glossy leaves right down to ground level, and flushes white orange blossom scented flowers through the warm months. Planted a metre apart it closes into a solid hedge in two to three seasons.

Why you'll love it

• Fragrance that carries. The flowers open in flushes after warm rain, several times between spring and autumn, and the scent reaches well beyond the plant.
• It responds to shears. Every trim thickens it, which is why it is the standard choice for formal hedges, topiary balls and clipped standards.
• Dense and quick to close. Fine foliage means the base never goes bare, and at 1m spacing it reads as a hedge by the second season.
• Tough once established. It handles heat, humidity and dry spells, so a settled hedge is not a watering commitment.

Where it works best

Boundary and formal hedges. Plant 1m apart centre to centre for a dense clipped hedge, or 1.5m apart for a looser informal screen. Most gardeners hold theirs at 1.5m to 2m.

Anywhere you walk past it. Front paths, entries, courtyards, bedroom windows and outdoor seating. Scent is wasted at the back fence.

Topiary and pots. It shapes cleanly into balls and cones, and grows well in a large pot on a balcony or courtyard.

One honest caution. Birds spread the berries, and in parts of coastal Queensland it has naturalised into bushland. Clip after each flowering flush if you garden near bush.

Growing mock orange in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering and the densest growth. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens and takes light frost only, so in cold winter gardens around Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide give it a sheltered north facing spot or a pot.

Soil and water. It needs free draining soil and will not sit wet, so dig compost through heavy clay or plant on a raised mound. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then taper off.

Feeding and pruning. Feed with a complete slow release fertiliser in early spring and again in midsummer. Tip prune after each flowering flush to build density, and cut a leggy hedge back hard in late winter. It shoots readily from old wood.

What to expect when it arrives

This plant ships from tubestock and 140mm pots through to 500mm, plus advanced stock from 25L to 200L. Tubestock is the sensible way to plant a long run: it arrives at 15cm to 30cm tall and catches larger stock within two seasons. The 200mm to 400mm sizes arrive around knee height, and 45L and above gives close to an instant hedge.

Plants are trimmed and packed for transit, so expect some leaf drop on arrival. Water them the day they land, then plant. New growth usually starts within three to four weeks in the warmer months. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Mock orange care guide: hedging, pruning and varieties
• Browse all hedging and screening plants
• Min a Min, the dwarf murraya for hedges under 1m
• More fragrant plants for paths and entries

Common questions

How far apart should I plant a hedge?

One metre apart, centre to centre, which is ten plants for a ten metre run. Widen to 1.5m for an informal screen with visible gaps between plants.

How tall will it get, and can I keep it shorter?

Unpruned it reaches about 3m tall and 2.5m wide. It clips to any height between roughly 1m and 3m, and for a hedge under 1m the dwarf form is the better plant.

Will it grow in a cold climate?

It tolerates light frost only, so in cold winter districts it is marginal in open ground. A large pot in a sheltered spot, or a position against a warm wall, works far better.