Choisya White Dazzler - Dwarf Mexican Orange

Choisya 'White Dazzler®' is a brand new selection of Mexican Orange Blossom that combines many qualities. Naturally forming a compact ball, this bush with moderate growth is covered with clusters of sweetly scented white flowers twice a year. Adorned with finely divided and aromatic evergreen foliage in emerald green, it remains beautiful all year round. Suitable for gardens of all sizes and for container cultivation, this superb Mexican orange blossom will surely find a place in the garden or on the terrace. Its somewhat exotic appearance almost makes you forget that it is resistant to summer drought once well established and capable of withstanding strong frosts, to around -15°C (5 °F) if planted in a light, well-drained soil.

Choisya 'White Dazzler' was obtained by Peter Moore (the 'father' of 'Aztec Pearl') in 1991 in England. It is a hybrid resulting from the cross-breeding of Choisya dumosa, native to New Mexico and Texas, and the variety 'Aztec Pearl', which is itself a hybrid of C. ternata native to southwestern Mexico and C. dumosa var. Arizonica from Arizona. All these plants commonly called Mexican Orange Blossom belong to the Rutaceae family, like citrus trees. These evergreen bushes are accustomed to dry and hot climates, but their hardiness can sometimes be tested, especially when they are young and planted in heavy and windy soil.

'White Dazzler' is an amazing bush, well-branched, with a dense and rounded habit, which rarely exceeds 1.20 m (3.9 ft) to 1.30 m (4.3 ft) in height in ordinary soil. Its growth is moderately fast. Throughout the year, it bears shiny, dark green leaves, which are finely divided into 3 narrow, oblong, thick leaflets with dentate edges, measuring 8 cm (3.1 in). When these leaves are crushed, they release a strong scent of orange bark. Its pure white star-shaped flowers measure 3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter, and first appear in April to May, with a possible second bloom in September. The flowers bear an intense scent of orange blossom

Choisya 'White Dazzler' prefers light, well-drained soil, in a warm, sunny spot. It requires protection from cold winds. It can be planted in a shrub border or as a standalone in a strategic location to enjoy its delicate scent, or in a pot on a terrace or balcony. It works well alongside Escallonia 'Apple Blossom', Raphiolepis delacourii, Euphorbia 'Blue Glacier', sacred bamboos, compact osmanthus, Cytisus scoparius (broom), Berberis, and many others.