Choisya 'Pmoore06' ROYAL LACE Mexican orange
size/type
medium-sized shrub,medium-sized shrub
usual height
0,8-1,3m
usual width
1-1,5m
leaves
evergreen broadleaf
colour of leaves
flowers
showy
colour of flowers
blooming time
May
location
full sun
soil type
acidic (peaty) to neutral
soil moisture requirements
dry and sharply drained (xeriscape)
USDA zone (lowest)
7 (down to -23°C)
winter protection
for zone 5+6
for zone 7
categorized
We were so thrilled to hear that there was a hardy version of such an unusual and beautiful shrub like evergreen Mexican orange. It is an interspecific hybrid between choisya ternata with wider leaves that is often cultivated in South Europe and in England, and hardier choisya dumosa var. arizonica which has narrow leaves and comes from Arizona and Texas where, though used to hot weather, it withstands all sorts of unpleasant conditions including the ability to grow in elevations up to some 1200m. Choisya name was chosen in honour of Swiss botanist Jacques Denis Choisy (1799-1859), and the hybrid was named choisya x dewitteana (official approval of new botanical name pending). It was bred by Peter More from England and the very first variety from 1989 was called Aztec Pearl.
Description of the plant:
ROYAL LACE is a fine-leaved Mexican orange variety from 2013, developed by the original hybrid choisia breeder Peter Moore from England. It was granted EU patent No. 41455 in 2015. It bears evergreen, softly leathery, delicatly narrow leaves that resemble those of Apple Blossom variety. They are palmately divided into 3-7 thread-like leaflets, which have a distinct, spicy aroma when crushed, but do not use them for cooking. Their color is chartreuse to lime green in winter, and as soon as the chlorophyll rises up through the plant from the roots after winter, they turn golden yellow.From late April till early June it blooms with a number of star-shaped, 5-petalled flowers. They have a yellow center and a strong, sweet smell. Their form as well as the perfume resemble the flowers of orange trees, which is why the plant is called Mexican orange tree or Mexican blossom. ROYAL LACE grows densely into a compact, somewhat flattened, rounded shrub that will brighten up any dark green landscape with both its winter foliage colour as well as profuse flowering in spring.
The hybrid was sold predominantly in England, where it was among the top ten best selling plants for 20 years, later in the Netherlands and France, and now in Italy where it battles with the original c. ternata. Only recently it was introduced to slightly colder parts of Europe as it proved to be hardier than older varieties of cherry laurels and photinias which had a problem during the cold winter of 2010, and a few more afterwards. So far it survived -23 °C without any damage which makes it hardy to USDA zone 6.
Grow choisya the same way as a sun loving rhododendron. It has shallow and delicate root system which must never stand in wet ground. Drainage is crucial for its happy life, and so is acid, fertile soil for its healthy look. We highly recommend using mycorrhiza that will help the plant establish sooner and provide enough nutrients. As it flowers from mid spring (on last year’s wood) pruning of any kind should happen immediately after flowering in early summer but never cut into old wood. If you follow these instructions, you can enjoy a gorgeous plant for many years had without virtually any maintenance.
Last update 13-02-2023
