The award-winning Choisya x dewitteana 'Aztec Pearl' was bred in 1982 from a cross between Choisya ternata and Choisya dumosa var. arizonica . The cultivar was bred by Peter Moore for Hillier nurseries, located in Hampshire in the United Kingdom. It is a broadleaf evergreen shrub that will reach a height of 8' tall. Its showy white flowers along with its foliage have a distinct orange scent, thus its common names including the word orange. Its foliage have oil glands, that when they are crushed they will omit the very fragrant aroma. If pruning is necessary, accomplish that task after blooming. That pruning will encourage additional flowering. The abundance of nectar produced by the fragrant white flowers provides a great source of food for butterflies and bees. Use as a specimen or in small groups in a cottage or pollenator garden. It can also be used for screening or as a foundation plant. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious issues. Occasional issues with snails and spider mites. Provide a sheltered location to protect from strong winds and aid in the prevention of winter kill.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal
Mature size
Height: 7 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in. | Width: 7 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Open; Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Oblong; Obovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The bright green, finger-like leaves have a fragrant aroma.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Corymb; Cyme
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
The buds are pink, flushing to white. The fragrant white flowers appear at the end of shoots in clusters of 3 to 6. It will bloom in late spring to early summer and then again in late summer.