Philadelphus coronarius ‘Aureus’ has bright yellow-green leaves and really lights up the quite shady position it has along a boundary fence. It’s creamy-white scented flowers will soon bloom and for a couple of weeks it will look even more spectacular. Sadly after flowering the leaves lose some of their yellow-golden colour and become more green. This is the time of year to prune it back, as soon as it has finished flowering. In fact, as it blooms on the previous year’s growth, if you prune it later in the summer, you wont get any flowers the following spring.
The photo below shows Philadelphus coronarius ‘Aureus’ with the white flowers of Choisya ‘Aztec Pearl’ behind it, the black canes of the bamboo Phyllostachys nigra and a small Tree Fern – Dicksonia antarctica. The Tree Fern still has some green fronds of last year’s growth but you can just make out the new coils of fronds emerging.
The flowers of Philadelphus coronarius ‘Aureus’ (photo taken last year)
Choisya 'Aztec Pearl' A variety of Choisya ternata but in my view infinitely better. I’ve grown the straight form and also the variety ‘Sundance’ which I’ve found to be a weak, anaemic looking plant with its yellowy leaves.
But ‘Aztec Pearl’ is great! I like it’s finger-like evergreen leaves and its scented flowers in May and it usually repeat flowers in late summer. It is supposed to be a tender shrub that should be grown in full sun. Mine grows in the shade of a north facing fence and a towering bamboo and seems perfectly healthy and flowers well. It is about 6ft high and I occasionally chop lumps from it when it gets too exuberant.
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