Murraya paniculata (Orange Jessamine, Orange Jasmine)

Description

Murraya paniculata (Orange Jessamine, Orange Jasmine)makes a fine-textured, medium-sized shrub, with an upright and spreading, compact habit and dense crown of glossy green leaves. The small, orange-blossom scented, white flowers and small, red berries appear throughout much of the year. It is difficult to walk within 10 feet of this plant in flower and not notice the fragrance. The berries are attractive to birds and the flowers attractive to bees. The shrub is well-suited to shearing into a formal hedge or screen and can take on a boxwood-like effect in a formal garden. Plant three to four feet apart for a hedge. However, rapid growth rate while plants are young assures that numerous shearings will be needed throughout the growing season. Growth slows with age.