Content
Mock orange and jasmine are two prominent representatives of flower garden shrubs, widely used by many lovers of ornamental gardening. Inexperienced gardeners often confuse these two plants. However, if you look at it, these shrubs have much more differences than similarities. The difference between mock orange and jasmine is not only in the name. This will be discussed in more detail below.
What is the difference between jasmine and mock orange
The similarity between these two ornamental plants is that their flowers often have the same white color and emit a similar sweet floral aroma. This is the reason that many gardeners consider mock orange to be a kind of garden variety of jasmine. However, this opinion is deeply erroneous.
The flowers of these two shrubs are really similar, but only at first glance. And not all varieties of mock orange have a pronounced sweet floral aroma, characteristic of all varieties of jasmine.
The difference between jasmine and mock orange is that the wood of the second shrub is much harder. Previously, it was used to make smoking pipes - chibouks, from which the modern Russian name for this plant comes.The stem of jasmine is much more flexible and soft; it becomes woody only with age, and quite slowly.
According to description
To understand the main differences between jasmine and mock orange, it is enough to study their biological description. Comparative characteristics of these two biological species and their main differences are shown in the table below:
Characteristic | Chubushnik | Jasmine |
Shrub type | Deciduous | Evergreen |
Family | Hydrangeaceae | Olives |
Number of species | About 200 | About 60 |
Stem | Erect | Erect, climbing or curly |
Height of an adult bush | Depending on the variety, from 1 to 4 m | 2-3 m |
Leaves | Green, simple, ovoid, oval or elongated, with short petioles | Green, simple, trifoliate or odd-pinnate, with short petioles |
Bark | Gray, in shoots older than 1 year brown, flaking | Green |
Flowers | Large, simple, semi-double or double, white, cream or yellowish, collected in racemes of 3-9 pieces. | Large, regular, white, yellow or pink, with a narrow tubular corolla, collected in corymbose inflorescences |
Aroma | Depends on the species, some have no smell at all. The aroma does not depend on the time of day | Strong, with pronounced sweet tones. Appears after sunset |
By flowering
Mock orange blooms in June-July, the average flowering time is about 3 weeks. For jasmine, the time at which flowers appear depends on its variety. The flowering period of most species of this plant begins from March to July and ends in late September and early October. In addition, there is holoflowered (winter) jasmine, which blooms at the end of January and ends flowering at the end of April.
By growing area
Jasmine (pictured below) is a bright representative of the tropical and subtropical zone, it is found in both hemispheres of the Earth. It is widespread in South and South-West Asia and the countries of the Middle East. In Russia, this plant grows wild only in the Caucasus and Crimea.
Unlike jasmine, mock orange shrub has a different habitat; it grows in Europe, East Asia, and North America. The natural distribution zones of these two shrubs differ significantly, with almost no overlap.
Are there any similarities between mock orange and jasmine?
The reason why mock orange is sometimes called garden or false jasmine is because of the delicate aroma of the flowers of some of its species. It really is very reminiscent of the scent of jasmine flowers. In addition, there is an external similarity between the flowering bushes of both plants, especially when you look at them at a short distance. Both representatives of ornamental gardening are a wonderful decoration for the garden, but they still have more differences than similarities.
How to distinguish jasmine from mock orange
When choosing planting material, you need to be very careful, since confusion with names exists even in specialized flower shops and nurseries. You should definitely clarify the Latin name of the seedling; the name Philadélphus will clearly indicate that it is a mock orange seedling, even if in the store it is called, for example, garden, northern or false jasmine. The real one has the Latin name Jasminum.
Flowering bushes of these two ornamental plants are most easily distinguished by the structure of the flower. The jasmine flower has a characteristic tubular corolla from which two stamens grow. Mock orange flowers have a different shape. They are a goblet-shaped cup consisting of 4, sometimes 5-6 petals. Inside there are about 20-25, and in large-flowered varieties - up to 90 stamens. The photo below shows the difference between jasmine and mock orange flowers.
In the first photo there is a jasmine flower, in the second - mock orange, all the differences are very clearly visible.
Unlike real jasmine, garden jasmine, or mock orange, is much more winter-hardy. This is due to the fact that its natural habitat is located much further north. During winter, the tips of its shoots often freeze, but the plant recovers quite quickly. In many regions of Russia, it can grow year-round in open ground, while jasmine can only be used as a hanging plant or planted in closed areas with artificial climate control.
An interesting video about the intricacies of growing mock orange in Russia:
Conclusion
The differences between mock orange and jasmine are indeed very serious; the plants belong to different families and require different care. However, both shrubs are an excellent way to decorate your garden plot. However, while mock orange can be grown in open ground in many regions, the much more heat-loving jasmine is suitable only for indoor greenhouses, summer gardens and other buildings with a controlled microclimate.
Are mock orange flowers good for tea?
Good afternoon
Mock orange flowers have beneficial properties. They are often used to brew tea, which has a healing effect on the body. It is worth knowing that not all varieties of mock orange are suitable for this purpose. And it is important to properly collect and dry the flowers so that they retain their beneficial properties. You can also use fresh flowers for this purpose.
You can brew tea with mock orange flowers either alone or in combination with green, black tea or other herbs.
However, there are contraindications. You should not drink tea with mock orange flowers:
• for ulcers, gastritis;
• during pregnancy and pregnancy;
• hypotensive patients;
• in case of individual intolerance;
• in the presence of kidney disease.
It is not advisable to drink tea with garden jasmine flowers in the evening, as it has tonic properties.