# Scentless Mock Orange (Philadelphus inodorus) > 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. Also called Appalachian mock orange, Philadelphus grandiflorus, Philadelphus floridus. Category: Native Shrubs. Grown from seed by Blue Whale Trees. Web version: https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/scentless-mock-orange/ ![Scentless mock orange (Philadelphus inodorus) white four-petaled flowers with yellow stamens among leaves](https://bluewhaletrees.com/img/plants/scentless-mock-orange-h1610-800.jpg) *Photo: Douglas Goldman, CC BY-SA 4.0 ยท [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3APhiladelphusInodorus5.jpg)* ## Facts - Type: Shrub - Mature height: 6 to 12 ft - USDA hardiness zones: 5 to 10 - 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 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia). Also recorded in 16 other states, outside its native range - Sun: Full, Part - Soil moisture: Average, Dry - Growth rate: Fast - Traits: Showy flowers, Drought tolerant, Wildlife value - Sold as: Saplings, Seed Heights and zones are typical ranges for the species in cultivation; local conditions and seed source shift them. ## Availability Not yet priced online. Ask at captain@bluewhaletrees.com or leave an email on the web page to be told when it is listed. ## Notes 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. ## Sources - [Flora of North America, vol. 12: Philadelphus inodorus](http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250101927) - [NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Philadelphus inodorus](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/philadelphus-inodorus/) - [Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Philadelphus inodorus](https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PHIN5) - [Trees and Shrubs Online (International Dendrology Society), after Bean: Philadelphus inodorus](https://www.treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/philadelphus/philadelphus-inodorus/) - [Florida Native Plant Society: Philadelphus inodorus](https://www.fnps.org/plant/philadelphus-inodorus) - [USDA Forest Service, Woody Plant Seed Manual (2008), Philadelphus chapter, Shaw, Hurd and Stickney](https://www.fs.usda.gov/nsl/Wpsm/Philadelphus.pdf) - [NatureServe Explorer: Philadelphus inodorus, Scentless Mock Orange](https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.145034/Philadelphus_inodorus) - [North Carolina Natural Heritage Program: List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina, 2024, revised 11/03/2025](https://www.ncnhp.org/media/831/open) - [Mississippi Natural Heritage Program: Special Plants Tracking List, 2018](https://www.mdwfp.com/sites/default/files/2024-03/special-plant-tracking-list-2018.pdf) ## Read before planting - [Ten planting mistakes that quietly kill trees](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/ten-planting-mistakes/index.html.md) - [Transplanting young trees: timing, water and protection](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/transplanting-young-trees/index.html.md) - [Protecting young trees from voles, rabbits, deer and squirrels](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/protecting-trees-from-animals/index.html.md) - [The habitat around a tree is part of the tree](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/habitat-around-a-tree/index.html.md) - [Invasive vines and shrubs are what is killing your woods](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/invasive-vines-and-shrubs/index.html.md) - [Native trees and shrubs for birds: caterpillars, fruit, mast, nests and winter cover, month by month](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-birds/index.html.md) ## Related - [Planting-site check](https://bluewhaletrees.com/tools/site-check/index.html.md): for a thrive, struggle or fail verdict on Scentless Mock Orange, add ?species=scentless-mock-orange with zone (2 to 10), sun (full, part, shade) and moisture (dry, average, wet) to that address, for example ?species=scentless-mock-orange&zone=5&sun=part&moisture=average. - [Companion species for Scentless Mock Orange](https://bluewhaletrees.com/tools/companions/index.html.md?species=scentless-mock-orange): the natives that share its ground and the plants that pair with it in a yard. - [Growth estimator](https://bluewhaletrees.com/tools/growth/index.html.md): how the height and trunk projections are made; the estimate itself runs in the browser at https://bluewhaletrees.com/tools/growth/#species=scentless-mock-orange - [Seed sowing planner](https://bluewhaletrees.com/tools/sowing/index.html.md): how Scentless Mock Orange is sown, in the chart for every species (treatment, cold days, depth, timing); the dated plan runs in the browser at https://bluewhaletrees.com/tools/sowing/#species=scentless-mock-orange - [Pollination planner](https://bluewhaletrees.com/tools/pollination/index.html.md): what Scentless Mock Orange needs for a crop and how many to plant, in the table for every species; the planner runs in the browser at https://bluewhaletrees.com/tools/pollination/#plants=scentless-mock-orange:1 - [Bloom and fruit calendar](https://bluewhaletrees.com/tools/calendar/index.html.md): the months Scentless Mock Orange flowers and fruits, in the grid for every species.