Philadelphus ‘Belle’ Etoile’ – Mock Orange –

Description

Philadelphus – Mock Orange – There are about 60 species of deciduous shrubs in this genus. They occur in scrub and on rocky hillsides from Eastern Europe to the Himalayas, Eastern Asia, and North and Central America. They have thin bark, flaky, finely shredding in longitude stripes. They are grown for their spring or early summer blooms of orange scented, 4 petaled, cup or bowl shaped sometimes cross shaped, single, semi double, or double flowers,, held singly or in racemes, panicles, or cymes. The leaves are simple, mostly ovate, with serrated edges, 3″ long, and mid green, arranged in opposite pairs. Grow in a shrub border, or as specimen plants in a woodland garden, larger species and cultivars may be used for screening. Grow P. mexicanus against a wall. Grow in any moderately fertile, moist well drained soil in full sun or partial shade, but flowers better in full sun. Prone to scale insects, rust, gray mold (Botrytis), powdery mildew, fungal spots, and the Engrailed. P. ‘Belle’ Etoile’ – This arching, deciduous shrub grows 4-6′ feet tall and 8′ feet wide. It produces narrowly ovate, pointed, smooth edged leaves, to 3 ½” long. In late spring and early summer it bears single, starry shaped, pineapple like scented white flowers, 2 ½” across, marked purple-red in the centers, are held singly or in 3 to 5 flowered racemes. Zones 5-8