mock orange

noun

1. Also called syringa. any of various shrubs belonging to the genus Philadelphus, of the saxifrage family, especially P. coronarius, a widely cultivated species having fragrant white flowers.
2. any of various other shrubs or trees having flowers or fruit resembling those of the orange, as the laurel cherry.

mock orange

noun

1. Also calledsyringa any shrub of the genus Philadelphus, esp P. coronarius, with white fragrant flowers that resemble those of the orange: family Philadelphaceae
2. any other shrub or tree that resembles the orange tree

Word History and Origins

Origin of mock orange¹

First recorded in 1725–35

Example Sentences

Eventually, if all goes as hoped, patches of Gary oak, desert gooseberry, and mock orange will take hold and a lush ribbon of cottonwood, willow, and ash trees will line the banks of the river.

From Science Magazine

This includes Mediterranean sub-shrubs such as germander, rosemary and lavender, as well as West Coast native evergreen huckleberry, ceanothus and mock orange, all of which furnish the garden with structure, blooms and fragrance.

From Seattle Times

For example, at Klickitat Trail, you’ll see mock orange, blue aster, gentian, buttercups and desert parsley starting in late April into early June.

From Seattle Times

“How can I rest?” the American poet Louise Glück once wrote of a night beset by the insistent exhalations of mock orange blossoms:

From New York Times

Don’t prune your forsythia, lilac or mock orange yet.

From Washington Times