Sweet scented Murraya

An old friend once told me that when the Murraya is in bloom, rain is coming. Well the Murrayas are in bloom, all over the suburb and it has indeed been showering the last day or two.

Murraya paniculata is also known as chinese box, mock orange, orange jessamine, orange jasmine… the list kind of goes on. They are in the citrus family (Rutaceae) and have glossy green leaves and sweetly scented clusters of creamy white flowers. They are quick growers and commonly used for screening as they make a lovely dense green hedge. In fact, they’re one of those plants that you sort of don’t notice until it’s flowering. Even if it only has one or two blooms, you will definitely find it if you follow your nose!

Murraya paniculata ‘Exotica’ is classified as an environmental weed in Queensland and New South Wales. After flowering, it produces bright orange-red berries that the birds find delightful! They chow down and spread the seed, and because the plant is so fast growing, and so well suited to our conditions, it thrives in the wild. Newer hybrids have been bred though that don’t produce berries, so keep an eye out for these. There is also the closely related Murraya ovatifoliolata which is native to Australia, but slower growing, with smaller leaves. (Another close relative is the curry leaf tree, Murraya koenigii, which produces similar red berries and is also an environmental hazard!).

Murraya paniculata prefers full sun but will take some shade. Left to their own devices they will quite happily form a dark green, shrubby tree, but they respond well to pruning, producing flushes of pale green new growth. As mentioned before, please be mindful of any berries forming and keep our native environment safe!