I had one at my former house that was a single and about that tall and bloomed. It was not very big around.
I bought a double that has never bloomed in the 6 years I have had it. I transplanted it when I moved to this house in 2007.
I researched the doubles and quite a few people had the same complaint.
They are not evergreen. If you want evergreen, you might consider sweet olive.

Here is a link that might be useful: osmanthus fragans

Forgive my ignorance, but single? double? Do you mean blooms? What I was going for was an evergreen version that wasn't too wide. It sounds like you were happy with a "single" and if it blooms it's icing on the cake for me.

The sweet olive sounds tempting too. Thanks for the link!

I had a shorter and non evergreen one at my old house. I really loved the way the branches arch, so graceful...reminds me of forsythia.

Yes, I was referring to the blooms.

Google Philadelphus and see if you can find an evergreen cultivar.

Here is a link that might be useful: double blooming

I love the pure white flowers. If I remember right they have a fairly long blooming period in the spring, six to eight weeks I think.

Be advised that not all of them are fragrant. I have one that was given to me that is not, and then happened to sniff one at a nursery that was very fragrant, so of course I bought it. I appreciate them both, but don't know the names of the varieties.

Is anyone growing philadelphus mexicanus? It may be called Flora Plena Mock Orange.

Do any of you have any experiences to add about any of the mock oranges? Thanks, Lou

I saw this planted at the Texas Agrilife Trial Gardens at Meyers Park in McKinney. They seemed to be doing well there.

Dallasblooms - just wondering what you mean by "Mock Orange"? In the north that's always a Philadelphus but since coming to Texas I've learned that people may also call the evergreen Japanese Pittosporum Mock Orange and in the warmest parts of Texas you sometimes see Murraya paniculata called Mock Orange. Some kinds of Japanese Pittosporum say 10-feet tall.

I had Mexican Mock orange in downtown Austin on the cut bank of the Colorado river so we had a lot of clay and river rubble that had been worked for one hundred years so the ground was very fertile. It was in shade till afternoon. I didn't do a lot of watering and it was fragrant. It had a loose arching informal habit in the part shade of a live oak tree. I liked it. I aso had other mock oranges. There is a Canyon and a Texas mock orange t. Shiny dark leaves and very nice.

The Texas Mock Orange is more drought resistant (Philadelpius texensis). Fragrant But it is deer food.

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PHTE3

Here is a link that might be useful: canyon Mock Orange

Mara and Lou, those plants sound fascinating. I wonder if they would grow in and on my wooden pyramid in the sun?

Anyone see them for sale around San Antonio.

Annie, that's a good question.

Here is a link that might be useful: philadelphus mexicanus

I think they are underestimating their cold hardiness at San Marcus Growers. I grew it in Austin for years. I did plant them because the cold front of 1987 that got down to 2F (!) killed my pittusporum. It grew fine into a loose mounding habitat hid the hurricane fence.

This post was edited by wantonamara on Thu, Apr 25, 13 at 14:31