Choisya 'Aztec Pearl'
Common Name: Mexican Orange Blossom
Overview
Choisya 'Aztec Pearl' is a delightful evergreen shrub that brings elegance and fragrance to gardens throughout the year. This compact Mexican Orange Blossom is particularly treasured for its profuse display of sweetly scented white flowers and distinctive narrow, aromatic foliage. As a hybrid between Choisya ternata and Choisya dumosa, it combines the best qualities of both parents to create a truly outstanding garden plant.
Key Features
The most striking feature of 'Aztec Pearl' is its abundant clusters of pristine white, star-shaped flowers that appear in late spring and often again in autumn. Each flower measures approximately 2 centimetres across and carries an intensely sweet, orange blossom fragrance that attracts bees and butterflies. The evergreen foliage consists of narrow, linear leaflets that are bright green and release a pleasant citrus scent when brushed against or crushed.
Mature Size and Growth Rate
This well-behaved shrub typically reaches 1.5-2 metres in both height and spread at maturity, making it ideal for medium-sized gardens. 'Aztec Pearl' has a moderate growth rate, adding approximately 20-30 centimetres per year once established. Its naturally rounded, dense habit requires little pruning to maintain an attractive shape.
Growing Conditions
Choisya 'Aztec Pearl' thrives in full sun to partial shade, though flowering is most prolific in sunny positions. It adapts well to most soil types, preferring well-draining conditions but tolerating clay soils provided they don't become waterlogged. The plant performs best in neutral to slightly alkaline soils but will grow satisfactorily in mildly acidic conditions.
Hardiness and Climate
This robust shrub is hardy in USDA zones 7-10 and RHS hardiness rating H4, making it suitable for most gardens in southern and central Britain. It tolerates temperatures down to approximately -10°C, though young plants may benefit from protection during severe winters. In colder regions, planting in a sheltered position against a south-facing wall provides additional protection.
Care and Maintenance
'Aztec Pearl' is refreshingly low-maintenance once established. Water regularly during the first growing season to develop a strong root system, then only during prolonged dry spells. The plant rarely requires feeding in average garden soils, though an annual application of balanced fertiliser in spring can enhance flowering. Light pruning immediately after the main flowering period helps maintain shape and may encourage a second flush of blooms.
Garden Uses and Positioning
This versatile shrub works beautifully in mixed borders, where its year-round structure provides a reliable backbone for seasonal plantings. It makes an excellent specimen plant, particularly near seating areas where its fragrance can be fully appreciated. 'Aztec Pearl' is also superb for informal hedging, foundation planting, or in Mediterranean-style gardens where its drought tolerance and aromatic qualities are particularly valued.
Flowering and Seasonal Interest
The primary flowering display occurs in late spring to early summer, typically May to June, when the entire shrub becomes smothered in fragrant white blooms. A secondary, often equally impressive flowering period frequently occurs in early autumn, extending the plant's ornamental value. Even when not in flower, the attractive evergreen foliage provides year-round structure and interest.
Planting Tips
Plant in spring or early autumn when soil conditions are favourable. Choose a location with good air circulation to prevent fungal issues. Dig a hole slightly wider than the root ball and plant at the same depth as it was growing in the container. Backfill with native soil mixed with compost, water thoroughly, and apply mulch around the base while keeping it away from the stem.
Companion Plants
'Aztec Pearl' pairs beautifully with other Mediterranean plants such as lavender, rosemary, and santolina. It provides an excellent backdrop for perennials like catmint, salvia, and ornamental grasses. The white flowers complement plants with purple, blue, or pink blooms, whilst the evergreen foliage contrasts nicely with silver-leaved plants like artemisia or stachys.
Pest and Disease Resistance
This hardy shrub is generally pest and disease-free, making it an excellent choice for organic gardens. Occasionally, aphids may appear on new growth, but these rarely cause significant damage. The plant's natural resistance to most common garden problems, combined with its drought tolerance once established, makes it particularly suitable for low-maintenance landscapes.
Special Notes
All parts of Choisya 'Aztec Pearl' are aromatic, making it naturally deer and rabbit resistant. The fragrant flowers are excellent for cutting and bringing indoors, where they'll perfume entire rooms. This cultivar is more compact and arguably more floriferous than the traditional Choisya ternata, making it better suited to smaller gardens whilst retaining all the charm and reliability of its larger cousin.
Buying Shrubs from Jacksons Nurseries
At Jacksons Nurseries we sell a variety of shrubs both evergreen and deciduous with a variety of flowering times throughout the year. At certain times of the year our shrubs you buy from us may not look like the images shown on our website when deciduous leaves have fallen, the shrub has finished flowering or has been trimmed back.
Some leaves on evergreen shrubs can be damaged in winter by frost or harsh winds but in spring new leaves will readily replace those damaged. This is quite normal on many evergreen varieties and is preferable to plants grown with excessive protection that show cold shock once planted out and establish less satisfactory initially.
Availability: Stock availability figures are provided as a guide only. There is a delay between orders being placed and the plants being gathered by our pulling team. During this time it may be possible for a member of the public to purchase these plants from our Garden Centre, while this is rare it is a possibility and we will notify you of any problems as soon as possible. This figure may also include plants that have not yet be flagged as unsaleable.
Pre-order: Pre-order times are given as a guide only and may vary dependent on the growing season. Orders containing Pre-ordered products will be shipped as a single order when all items become available. Large orders may be part shipped, please contact us on 01782 502741 or email sales@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.
* Please Note: Shrubs in 20 litre pots and above might require a pallet delivery starting at £79.99 per pallet. Depending on the exact pot size and height it may be possible to get approximately 5 plants per pallet at no extra cost. The maximum height we can dispatch on a pallet is 2.0m, this includes the height of the pallet and pot.
Shrubs are deciduous or evergreen woody plants, and often provide fragrant flowers, berries and foliage. They are good for structural framework, and they can provide a wonderful shelter and food source for wildlife.
Planting and Conditions
Container grown shrubs can be grown at any time of year. It is a little known fact that shrubs planted in the autumn and winter will be easier to look after than those planted in the spring and summer, because they will have time to establish and become hardy in the cooler months.
Plant the shrub at the same depth as it was in its original pot. Planting too deeply can result in root and stem rot.
One of the biggest causes of death in new shrubs is drought stress, so keep it well watered until it’s established.
Make sure you loosen the soil prior to planting. Most shrubs are tolerant of most soil types as long as it is fairly well draining.
Most shrubs will grow happily in containers, but they will be much more demanding on feeding and watering than shrubs in the ground would be. They will also need potting on every couple of years so that they don’t suffocate or become stunted in their pot.
Aftercare and Pruning
Once established, shrubs generally do not require much water. However, at first they need careful, frequent watering and should not be left to dry out.
Shrubs in the ground are generally not demanding and in most cases, annual feeding with general purpose fertilizer will suffice. Shrubs in containers may need more feeding; usually from early spring until late summer.
Shrubs also benefit from mulching in order to supress weeds, conserve moisture and provide vital nutrients. Mulch also greatly improves soil conditions. Shrubs can be mulched in late winter, after fertiliser has been applied, but it can be mulched through autumn to late spring as long as the ground is damp.
All shrubs benefit from dead-heading once spent flowers become apparent. Rhododendrons and Lilac especially benefit from the removal of dead flowers.
Some shrubs may show signs of reverted growth or ‘sporting’. This is where random shoots of different leaves associated with the plant’s parentage begin to appear. Most commonly this is where plants with variegated leaves sprout pure green growths instead of variegated ones.
To control reversion, remove reverted shoots promptly to discourage them. Reverted shoots are usually much more vigorous than the variegated ones, and thus should be completely pruned out and cut back into wood containing variegated foliage.
Potential Issues
Although shrubs are usually very robust garden plants, they can sometimes start to decline with no apparent or obvious reason.
This will start with browning leaves, which could indicate plant stress due to lack of water or waterlogging, an establishment failure or, in the worst case scenario, honey fungus. Another cause of leaf browning is a high salt content in the soil. This could be a natural occurrence, especially if you live near the ocean, or it could be from over fertilisation.
To remedy a high salt content, cut back on fertiliser and step up your watering regime for the next few weeks. If you live by the ocean, this will be harder to remedy—but stepping up your watering will help to wash some of the salt away all the same.
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