Orange Blossom
Orange Jasmine
Murraya paniculata
Orange blossom in shrub form — clouds of small white flowers with a honeyed orange-blossom scent and glossy, sweetly aromatic foliage to match.
Scent Profile
What it smells like
Perfume unfolds in three movements. Close your eyes and follow the scent from first breath to the trace it leaves behind.
Top note
A bright neroli-orange-blossom burst, sweet and lifted.
Heart note
A honeyed floral-neroli middle — the smell of blooming orange groves at dusk.
Base note
A warm, woody-floral finish with a faintly balsamic tail.
Care
How it grows
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate, let dry slightly
- Bloom season
- Spring and summer, recurring flushes
- Mature size
- 8–12 ft small tree or hedge
- Hardiness
- Zones 9–11
Care notes
Tending this plant
Soil
Well-drained, moderately fertile. It dislikes wet feet — add sand or pumice to heavy soils and ensure drainage.
Feeding
Feed with a balanced fertilizer three times a year (spring, summer, early fall). Trace elements keep the glossy foliage deep green; it's prone to yellowing in poor soil.
Pruning
Takes hard pruning for hedges — shear to shape after each bloom flush. For a small tree, select one trunk and remove low branches gradually.
Winter care
Damaged below 30°F. In cooler inland valleys plant against a south wall or grow in a pot moved to shelter during cold snaps.
Container growing
A superb container tree. Prune to keep compact and feed on the same schedule; it rewards with repeat bloom and berries even in a 14–18 inch pot.
Where it grows
A California story
A glossy-leaved fragrant shrub that relishes California's inland Tri-Valley heat, blooming in clouds of white flowers followed by ornamental red-orange berries. A favourite for hedges where its perfume greets every passerby.
