To truly merit a place in the garden, a plant should be outstanding in at least two of the three golden attributes: color, form, and texture. For years, mock orange has had only one—its plethora of sparkling white flowers in spring. Yes, they are deliciously fragrant, but that starry show passes, and you are left with a nondescript blob of green foliage. This classic shrub may now deserve a second look, thanks to the outstanding form of Illuminati Tower™. Gone is the rangy habit of squidlike arms common to mock orange, which have been replaced with a narrow, columnar habit—giving this woody a towerlike effect. This might just be the fragrant focal point you never knew your landscape was missing.

Illuminati Tower™ mock orange

Philadelphus coronarius ‘SMNPVG’

Zones: 4–7

Size: 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil

Native range: Southern Europe

Source

• Garden Crossings, Zeeland, MI; 616-875-6355; gardencrossings.com