Flowers › Mock Orange
❀ Specialty Flower · Early Summer
Michigan Mock Orange
For a few sweet weeks each year, Mock Orange covers its arching branches in fragrant white blossoms that perfume a whole room with the scent of orange blossom.
Seasonal Availability
About Mock Orange
Mock Orange is one of the great fleeting pleasures of the late-spring garden: arching woody branches smothered in clusters of pure white, four-petaled blossoms whose rich, sweet fragrance really does evoke orange blossom. Cut and brought indoors, a few branches become an airy, statement-making arrangement that perfumes an entire room, the very essence of early summer captured for a week or two.
The shrub belongs to the genus Philadelphus, a hardy flowering relative of the hydrangeas rather than any citrus, and it is a long-loved fixture of Michigan gardens. Fully cold-hardy, it thrives here and bursts into its brief, spectacular bloom as spring turns to summer, usually across late May and June.
Because that bloom is so short and is cut as a flowering branch rather than a single stem, we treat mock orange as a seasonal specialty. It is unmatched for a fragrant, natural-feeling spring arrangement or wedding, and available only while the shrubs are in flower.
Mock Orange From Our Farmers
Mock Orange at a Glance
In season (MI)
May to June
Colors
White, cream
Stem length
Flowering branches, 24 to 40 inches
Best for
Fragrant flowering branches, statement arrangements, spring wedding work
How to buy
Specialty DIY-bucket add-on, or custom design
Forms & Varieties
Cut mock orange is offered as flowering branches from a few garden selections.
Single white types
The classic single four-petaled blossoms, the most fragrant and abundant flowering branches.
Double-flowered selections
Fuller, more ruffled blooms for an even showier branch.
Compact garden strains
Shorter, well-branched types that yield manageable cutting branches.
Golden-leaved varieties
Selections with chartreuse foliage that set off the white flowers.
Care & Vase Life
- Cut and buy while the branches are in fresh bloom; the season is short.
- Recut the woody stems on a long angle, and split or lightly crush the base for better water uptake.
- Expect around 5 to 8 days; keep in fresh, deep water.
- Strip lower leaves and remove any blooms below the waterline.
- Keep arrangements cool and out of direct sun to slow the blossoms.
When We Have Mock Orange
Mock orange blooms across late May and June in Michigan, and only then, its flowering window lasting just a couple of weeks. It is very much a while-it-lasts spring treasure. Every branch is grown by our member farmers.
Availability shifts week to week with the Michigan season, so colors and varieties vary. Reserve ahead for events, and check the shop for what our farmers have cut this week.
How to Get Mock Orange
Add mock orange to your bucket
Mock Orange is a specialty flower, so it isn’t sold on its own. Add mock orange as a premium selection when you reserve a DIY bucket, ideal for weddings and events you’re arranging yourself.
Reserve a DIY bucketLet us design it for you
Prefer it done for you? Our floral designers create custom, mock orange-forward arrangements and full wedding and event work. Pickup is at the barn; buyer members can also arrange local delivery.
Request floral designMock Orange FAQs
Is mock orange related to oranges?
No. The name comes from its blossom fragrance, which resembles orange blossom, but it is Philadelphus, a hardy flowering shrub related to hydrangeas, not a citrus.
Why is mock orange only available for a short time?
It blooms just once a year, for roughly a couple of weeks across late May and June. Outside that window the branches carry only leaves, so the cut-flower season is genuinely brief.
How do I keep cut mock orange branches fresh?
Recut the woody stems on a long angle and split or crush the base so they drink well, keep them in deep fresh water, and keep them cool. Expect around 5 to 8 days.
Can I get mock orange for a spring wedding?
Yes, if your date falls in its late-May-to-June window. Its fragrance and airy branches are spectacular for events, but supply is short and seasonal, so ask well ahead.
Pairs Well With
LilacFlower · May, often two to three weeks
NinebarkFoliage · June through September
HydrangeaFlower · July through September
Garden RoseFlower · June through September
PeonyFlower · Late May through June
EucalyptusFoliage · June through OctoberMock Orange Available to Buy Now
See all mock orange in the shop →
Ready to plan with mock orange?
Reserve mock orange for your event or ask our designers to build something around them, grown by our Michigan farmer collective.