Photo: Douglas Goldman, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Scentless Mock Orange

Philadelphus inodorus

Also called Appalachian mock orange, Philadelphus grandiflorus, Philadelphus floridus.

A tall, arching southern shrub that covers itself in big white four-petaled flowers in spring, easy in sun or part shade and tolerant of drought.

Showy flowersDrought tolerantWildlife value

Type: Shrub
Mature height: 6–12 ft
USDA zones: 5–10
Growth rate: Fast
Sun: Full, Part
Soil moisture: Dry, Average
Grows wild in: Stream banks, rocky ground and rich moist slopes
Native range: 10 states, north to West Virginia, south to Florida and west to Mississippi
List all 10
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia
Also recorded in 16 other states, outside its native range. See what is native in your state

Hardiness zones Find your zone by ZIP code

Scentless mock orange is a tall, arching shrub of the hydrangea family, native to stream banks, bluffs and rocky woods of the Southeast. In spring it covers itself in large white flowers with four petals. The name says the flowers have no scent, and some sources agree, but others describe them as sweet-smelling. It is easy to grow in sun or part shade and tolerates drought, heat and humidity. North Carolina keeps it on its watch list as rare but relatively secure, and Mississippi ranks it as imperiled. Use it as a specimen or at the back of a shrub border, where its spring flowers show.

Size, growth and what to expect

It grows fast, nearly three feet a year in our growth estimator. It makes an upright, many-stemmed shrub 6 to 12 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide, its branches arching with age. Its bark peels in strips and turns orange-brown on older stems. The leaves are 2 to 4 inches long, dark green above and paler beneath.

White flowers 1 to 2 inches across open in April and May, alone or in threes at the ends of short shoots, each with four petals and 60 to 90 stamens. Dry, four-parted capsules about half an inch long follow and split open from June into August.

It grows wild on stream banks, bluffs and cliffs and in moist, rocky woods. It is native from Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky south to Florida and Mississippi, and it grows wild as an introduced plant in many states to the north and west.

How to grow Scentless Mock Orange

Scentless mock orange grows in full sun or part shade and needs at least half a day of sun. It takes clay, loam or sand that drains well. The soil may be acid, neutral or limy. It tolerates drought, heat and humidity. Plant it 4 feet from a wall and set plants 6 feet apart. At its size it can go within 15 feet of overhead wires.

Saplings ship bare-root or potted. Plant them in a hole wider than the roots and no deeper, and put the native soil back in. The small seed needs no special treatment. Sow it in spring on the surface of moist seed mix, pressed in and barely covered, and keep it moist. Shade the seedlings for their first month and do not overwater them, since they are fragile.

Water weekly through the first summer if rain is short. It flowers on the previous year's wood, so prune it right after it flowers. To renew an old plant, cut out about a third of the old growth at that time.

Each flower carries both male and female parts, and bees visit the flowers, so there are no male and female plants to pair. It is of special value to native bees. It is generally free of pests and diseases.

Heights and zones are typical ranges for the species in cultivation; local conditions and seed source shift them.

Sources (9)