mock orange

noun

1
: any of a genus (Philadelphus of the family Hydrangeaceae, the hydrangea family) of ornamental shrubs of which several are widely grown for their showy white flowers

called also philadelphus, syringa

2
: any of several usually shrubby plants considered to resemble the orange

Examples of mock orange in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sunburned leaves of a mock orange shrub on Aug. 23. Denise Chow, NBC News, 1 Sep. 2024 Flowers included meadow grass, ox-eye daisies, iris, rose, clematis, mock orange, scabious, sweet pea, astrantia, martagon lily and love in a mist. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 7 June 2024 Swan Lake mock orange is a rounded shrub from Monrovia that produces mounds of white blooms that smell like grape soda. Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2024 For winter application, Osofsky suggests homing in on white flowers like hellebores or mock orange, paired with the silver foliage of artemisia and lavender. Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 21 Dec. 2023 Both of these shrubs, nine-bark and mock orange, can occasionally be pruned nearly to the ground as a rejuvenation strategy. oregonlive, 16 Sep. 2023 The 264-page guide offers details on how to manage inevitable fire by designing gardens and wildlife habitats as a defensive space with the careful placement of native plants. instead of invasive butterfly bush, the authors recommend planting mock orange, red-flowering currant or blue elderberry. Jeastman, oregonlive, 11 Sep. 2023 Also, when is the best time of year to prune mock orange. oregonlive, 16 Apr. 2023 Not every species of mock orange has the same strong fragrance, though, so be sure to do a little research before heading to the garden center. Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1731, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mock orange was in 1731

Dictionary Entries Near mock orange

Cite this Entry

“Mock orange.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mock%20orange. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

mock orange

noun
: any of several shrubs widely grown for their showy white flowers

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