Appalachian Mock Orange is a deciduous shrub found in forests, woodlands and rocky bluffs. It is native to eastern and central USA and can be found in the mountains and Piedmont of NC. It has an upright rounded habit with branches that become more arching as the plant ages. The attractive white flowers bloom in small groups in summer. This shrub is easy to grow and is adaptable to different well-drained soil types. It is drought, heat and humidity tolerant. Use in a shrub border or as a specimen.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
3 feet-6 feet; 6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Erect; Rounded
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire; Serrate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The leaves are opposite, oblong to ovate, sparsely serrated, 2-4 inches long, darker green on top, lighter green on the underside. Although sparse, hairs can be found on the underside of the leaves.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Flowers bloom April-May and are white in color. The 4-petaled flowers appear in clusters of 3. Each flower has between 60 and 90 stamens.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruit is a dry 4-sectioned capsule and splits open when ripe, typically available in June-August.
Bark color
Light Brown; Orange
Bark detail
Light brown, coarsely shreddy. Older bark is orange-brown.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver
Stem detail
Twigs are slender, light brown to reddish-brown, raised leaf scar, 3 bundle scars, hidden bud.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern and central USA
Distribution
AL, AR, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, KU, LA, MA, MD, MS, MT, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, WI