| Description | Michelia x alba
Michelia Alba, also known as; white sandalwood, white jade orchid tree, white Champaca, Bai Lan or Pak Lan. This is a spectacular medium-sized evergreen tree with large, luscious, lime-green foliage that looks almost luminous.
Nearly hidden amongst the foliage are beautiful, delicate, whispy, orchid-like flowers, that have a very exotic sweet scent.
This tree is highly prized throughout Southeast Asia, where it is considered to bestow good luck, and the fragrance is also known to be an aphrodisiac. Grow the Michelia in a large pot and bring it indoors from time to time to enjoy the luscious foliage and exotic fragrance, or, plant it in a sheltered part of the garden where it is protected from hot, northerly winds and severe frosts, maybe just outside the bedroom window or anywhere, you may enjoy the fragrance which occurs from mid-spring until very late autumn.
Dig a deep hole and plant your tree high in the hole with plenty of loose soil underneath, fertilise it well and the watering requirement is normal, not excessive.
20''/50cm pot | Choisya ternata
Mexican Orange Blossom is so named as it's flowers are of a similar nature and scent to an orange tree! The foliage is a mid to light green and is covered with masses of scented white flowers through Spring and Summer.
This attractive shrub will grow to approx. 1.5 - 2m, but is happy to be clipped to suit. As a result it can be also used as a hedge or screen. It is best grown in full sun or part shade and is reasonably frost tolerant. | |
| Additional information | |
| height x width |
1.5m x 1.5m, can be trimmed
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| planting distance |
For hedge or screen: 80cm
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| features |
Compact rounded bush, leaves consist of 3 glossy deep green leaflets, tight clusters of fragrant white flowers appear in spring and late summer
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| conditions |
Full sun to part shade in rich, well-drained soil, prefers a slightly acidic soil
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| landscape use |
Specimen, screen, general landscaping, a great substitute for Orange Jessamine in a frosty area
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