Choisya ternata

Mexican Orange Blossom

This plant attracts the following butterflies:

Green-veined White, Holly Blue

top memorable image:

Holly Blue butterfly on Choisya ternata

Female Holly Blue. May 2002.

notes:

This is a good plant for spring flying butterflies. The glossy green leaves are pleasant for humans to look at in the winter months too.

I inherited a Choisya ternata in the back garden here. It's probably about 13 years old now so a mature plant. Although my books say that it generally does not need pruning, I give it a tidy after flowering in the spring. When one branch was partially broken, I gave it a quite drastic prune and it quickly grew some new shoots.

I've found that this plant will deliver a second flush of flowers in the autumn too.

Reference Section

Plant Type: shrub

Evergreen. White scented flowers. Introduced from Mexico in the 19th century.

Flowers in May

Height: 1.5-2m (5-6ft)
Spread: 1.5-2m (5-6ft)

This page last updated April 19, 2004