Choisya
Common name: Mexican Orange Blossom
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Overview:
Choisya ternata is named after Jacques Denis Choisy a Swiss botanist and professor of philosophy at Geneva.
As the common name suggests; they originate from south west USA and Mexico.
It is an evergreen flowering shrub of the citrus family that can grow to around 2.4m (8ft) high, with a similar spread.
The white star-shaped white to pink tinged aromatic flowers much loved by bees, appear in April / May, and occasionally again, later on in the year.
The leaves are also aromatic if crushed.
They should be grown against a south facing wall in the colder areas of the UK, to reduce the effects of frost damage.
The soil should be free draining and have a pH of neutral to acid.
Cultivation:
Week 16:
Cut back any frost damaged shoots back to ground level.
Leave further thinning to after the flowering period.
Week 18:
Plant out in a sheltered, sunny or partially shaded position.
Avoid planting in areas hit by the morning sun.
Week 20:
Pot up rooted cuttings taken the previous year into 100-125mm (4"-5") and grow on in a cold frame for another year.
Week 22:
Normally no regular pruning is required but thinning out can be done after flowering.
Week 30:
Take semi-hardwood cuttings and root them at a temperature of 16°- 18°C (60°- 65°F)
When rooted pot up into 70mm (3") pots and grow on in a cold frame until May the following year.