Should mock orange be cut back?
Since mock orange is a spring-flowering shrub and its buds developed last year, plan to prune it immediately after it flowers. If you wait too long and prune your shrub later in the summer or fall, you run the risk of pruning off next years’ flower buds. Where to plant mock orange. Most mock orange shrubs are cold-hardy in usda zones 4-8. They need a full-sun location for the best flower production. Although they tolerate partial shade, blooming is reduced.To keep mock orange shrubs in shape, cut back the shoots after flowering, down to a strong bud. Flowers appear on stems from the previous season’s growth, so if you have to hard prune an older, established philadelphus, be prepared to lose out on the flowers for a year or so while it recovers.