Ochna

( AWCH - nuh )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus of evergreen shrubs, trees, and shrublets includes species which need partial shade and moderate water for best performance in the landscape. Species are native to tropical woodland areas in Madagascar, Africa, the Mascarene Islands and Asia. They are commonly called Mickey Mouse Plants due to the unique presentation of berries when they are ripe. Ochna trees and shrubs are highly ornamental, with showy yellow flowers, striking red sepals, contrasting berries, and beautiful evergreen foliage. Use them for hedges or screening, as specimens, or as members of wildlife or pollinator gardens. They can also do well in containers.

Ochna Species and Varietals

The genus Ochna is the type member of the plant family Ochnaceae, and includes around 80 species. Mickey Mouse Plant grows best in USDA hardiness zones 9b-11 or Sunset growing zones 14-24, H1 and H2. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Ochna integerrima (Yellow Mai, Vietnamese Mickey Mouse
plant, Yellow Mai Flower, Mai Vang, Yellow Apricot)
These plants form small trees or shrubs to between 6.5 and 23 feet tall at maturity. Flowers are yellow, and are popular Lunar New Year symbols in Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia. Bark is brown to greyish-brown.

Ochna serrulata (Small-Leaved Plane, Carnival Ochna, Bird's Eye Bush, Mickey Mouse Plant, Mickey Mouse Bush)
These plants are native to South Africa. Individual plants reach 4-8 feet tall and just as wide. Yellow flowers bloom in early summertime and then fade, leaving behind red sepals and dark berries Leaves emerge bronze in spring and mature to a deep green. This species is considered invasive in Australia and New Zealand.

Caring for ochna

Plant Ochna in a space in the landscape that receives full sun to partial shade; ideally, they appreciate between 4 and 6 hours of sun each day. Ensure that soil is well-draining, rich in nutrients, and has a pH of between 5.6 and 7.5 (acidic to neutral). If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Apply a layer of mulch around the planting area to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water new plantings regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new home. Once established, these plants have moderate water requirements, appreciating weekly deep soakings during spring and summer. Allow the top inch of soil to dry out between waterings, and reduce irrigation in winter when plants are dormant.

Fertilize yearly in early springtime with an application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. Pruning is simple; remove any damaged, diseased, or dead foliage at any time during the growing season. The best time to prune for size and shape is just after the blooming season ends, as these shrubs bloom primarily on old wood and heavy pruning in late winter or spring will remove the season's flowers. These long-lived perennial shrubs can survive in the landscape for decades under optimal growing conditions before needing to be replaced.

Caring for Ochna in Containers
Ochna shrubs are wonderful in the ground, but can also be grown in containers. Choose a container that is at least a few inches wider and deeper than the nursery pot or root ball. Ensure that the pot has adequate drainage holes on the bottom to allow for excess water to flow away. Fill with a well-draining potting mix amended with organic material and perlite, and top with a layer of mulch to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water regularly as the plant establishes itself in its new home. Once established, waterings can be lessened. Ochna plants grown in containers will need more frequent irrigation than those grown in the ground. As a general rule of thumb, water whenever the top few inches of soil feels dry to the touch. Prune to remove dead, damaged, or diseased foliage at any time during the growing season. Every few years, check the bottom of the pot to ensure that the plant is not outgrowing its root space. If roots are growing through the drainage holes in the bottom of the container, it is a good indication that it needs to be potted up; choose a slightly larger container and repot.

Propagation

Ochna can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your shrub, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Ochna by Cutting

Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. A good substrate for propagation of cuttings is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Ochna by Seed

Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. The best potting medium for seed germination is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
Harvest your seeds. The seeds are contained within the black fruits that are left behind after flowers fade. Remove the seeds from the fruit, and set them aside.
Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 7-14 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.

Ochna plants produce fleshy drupelets that each contain one seed. They are deep purple to black when mature.

Ochna seeds are small, brown to black, and have pock-marked seed coats.

Problems and Pests

Certain Ochna species are considered invasive in some regions; see the species descriptions above for more information. Check with local authorities before planting. These shrubs, although generally resistant to pests and diseases, can suffer from the following common garden pests: