Choisya ternata 'Sundance' – A Bright, Evergreen Shrub with Fragrant Foliage and Stunning Flowers
Choisya ternata 'Sundance', commonly known as the Sundance Mexican Orange Blossom, is a vibrant evergreen shrub that stands out with its golden-yellow foliage and fragrant white flowers. A striking cultivar of the popular Choisya ternata, 'Sundance' is an excellent addition to gardens looking for year-round interest, adding a pop of colour and a delightful fragrance. With its compact growth habit, it is well-suited to a variety of garden styles, including mixed borders, coastal gardens, and container plantings. 'Sundance' is loved for its versatility, resilience, and attractive appearance, making it a favourite among gardeners seeking a low-maintenance yet visually stunning shrub.
Seasonal Beauty & Growth
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Spring: In early spring, Choisya ternata 'Sundance' produces clusters of small, fragrant white flowers that bloom profusely, covering the shrub in a delicate display. These flowers attract pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, and add a fresh burst of brightness to the garden. The fragrant blossoms are a lovely contrast against the shrub’s bright yellow foliage.
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Summer: The foliage of 'Sundance' retains its vibrant yellow colour throughout the summer, maintaining its cheerful presence in the garden. The shrub continues to bloom intermittently, with occasional bursts of flowers throughout the warmer months. The aromatic scent of the flowers fills the air, adding to the sensory appeal.
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Autumn/Winter: During the autumn and winter months, the golden-yellow leaves of 'Sundance' deepen to a richer, more subdued shade, but the shrub retains its overall structure and evergreen qualities. The flowers may slow down, but the plant’s foliage continues to provide colour and texture, even in the colder months. The shrub is frost-tolerant, ensuring it remains a consistent feature in the garden through winter.
Structure & Form
Choisya ternata 'Sundance' is a medium-sized, bushy shrub that typically grows to a height of 1.5-2m with a similar spread. It has a rounded, dense growth habit, with arching branches and a compact form that makes it an excellent choice for smaller gardens or as a backdrop in larger plantings. The leaves are lance-shaped and leathery, with a vibrant yellow hue that is bright enough to stand out in almost any setting. Its aromatic white flowers are borne in clusters, creating an attractive, scented display during its blooming season. This shrub is well-suited for hedging, as well as for use as an individual specimen or in mixed borders.
Ideal for Various Landscapes
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Evergreen Hedges & Screens: Due to its dense growth habit and evergreen nature, Choisya 'Sundance' is ideal for use as a low to medium-height hedge. Its vibrant foliage provides year-round interest and can be pruned to maintain a tidy, formal shape, making it a perfect choice for privacy screens and garden boundaries.
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Mixed Borders & Herbaceous Gardens: With its bright yellow foliage and fragrant white flowers, 'Sundance' pairs beautifully with other flowering shrubs, perennials, and grasses. It works particularly well in mixed borders where its colour contrasts with plants such as Lavender, Salvia, or Nepeta (Catmint).
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Coastal Gardens: This hardy shrub is well-suited to coastal gardens, where it can tolerate salt-laden winds and dry conditions. Its evergreen foliage provides a vibrant touch throughout the year, making it a great choice for coastal planting schemes.
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Containers & Patio Gardens: Thanks to its compact size, Choisya ternata 'Sundance' is ideal for container planting. It thrives in pots and planters, making it a perfect addition to patios, balconies, and courtyards, where it provides colour and fragrance in a limited space.
Growing Conditions & Care
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Position: 'Sundance' thrives in full sun to partial shade. While it prefers sunny locations, it can tolerate some light shade, particularly in hotter climates where it helps to protect the plant from scorching midday sun. In sunnier spots, the golden foliage will be at its brightest.
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Soil: This shrub prefers well-drained, fertile soil but is adaptable to a range of soil types, including loamy, sandy, and clay soils. It does not like to be waterlogged, so ensuring good drainage is essential. Choisya 'Sundance' can tolerate slightly acidic to neutral soil pH.
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Hardiness: Choisya ternata 'Sundance' is hardy in USDA zones 7–9, making it suitable for temperate climates. It is relatively frost-tolerant, but it may benefit from some protection in regions with extreme cold or heavy frost. In more temperate areas, it can thrive year-round, even in coastal and urban settings.
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Maintenance: This shrub is low-maintenance and easy to care for. Regular watering is important during dry periods, but once established, 'Sundance' is drought-tolerant. Prune after flowering to maintain its shape and remove any dead or damaged wood. Light pruning in spring will also encourage healthy growth and more flowers.
Why Choose Choisya ternata 'Sundance'?
Choisya ternata 'Sundance' is an eye-catching shrub with its bright yellow foliage and fragrant white flowers. It provides year-round interest, from its vibrant spring blooms to its evergreen structure that holds up throughout the seasons. Easy to grow and maintain, 'Sundance' is ideal for adding colour, texture, and fragrance to a variety of garden settings, including borders, hedges, and containers. Its adaptability to different soil types and its resistance to drought and coastal conditions make it a reliable and beautiful addition to any garden.
Perfect Plant Combinations
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Flowering Shrubs – Pair with other vibrant flowering shrubs like Rhododendron, Hydrangea, or Lavender to create a mixed planting with contrasting colours and textures.
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Perennials & Grasses – Combine with perennials such as Echinacea (Coneflower), Nepeta (Catmint), or Salvia (Sage) for a beautiful contrast in height, texture, and bloom time. Add ornamental grasses like Pennisetum or Miscanthus to complement its form.
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Coastal Plants – Combine with other salt-tolerant plants such as Armeria (Thrift), Lavender, and Lobularia (Sweet Alyssum) for a hardy, coastal garden that thrives in tough conditions.
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Groundcovers & Low Shrubs – Use as a backdrop for low-growing groundcovers like Thymus (Thyme) or Episcia for a layered, colourful effect.
Choisya ternata 'Sundance' is a striking and versatile shrub that adds vibrant colour, lovely fragrance, and evergreen interest to any garden. Whether used as a hedge, in mixed borders, or as a specimen plant in containers, 'Sundance' offers year-round beauty and is easy to grow, making it a perfect choice for gardeners seeking a low-maintenance shrub with plenty of visual appeal.
Does the height include the pot?
No, we measure from the top of the pot to the tip of the plant except for some of the instant planted screens, in this case it will be stated in the description
How long does delivery take?
Most orders are delivered in just a few days, Smaller items are often sent with Parcelforce on a next day service, Larger items should allow up to 10 days due to the size of the items they often have to be sent on our own transport.
Where will you leave my plants?
We will leave your order at the front of your property, Parcelforce may
leave your items in a safe place if you let us know, Pallet couriers
will require a flat hard surface to deliver to, no gravel or soil, a
driveway or parking spot would be best. Most importantly Deliveries by
pallet courier will require access for a large truck (bin lorry sized)
to get near the delivery point. Deliveries sent on our own transport may come in a small van or larger truck.
