Osmanthus, beautiful fragrant blooming

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Small white flowers with the scent of jasmine open in early spring above dense, leathery evergreen leaves so like holly’s, though without the spines, that osmanthus is nicknamed false holly. In China the flowers are used to flavour green tea; shelter the shrub from cold dominant winds and the fragrance carries right through spring.

Here are all great practices that will enhance the beauty of your osmanthus.

Planting osmanthus

It is best to plant Osmanthus in fall to speed root development up over the winter.

But like most shrubs purchased in containers, you can plant it all year long as long as you double down on watering if planting in spring or summer (avoid times of very hot weather).

As a hedge, space the base of each osmanthus stem more or less by 6 ½ feet (2 meters).

• Osmanthus loves the sun and even tolerates part sun quite well.
• This shrub copes well in any type of soil.
• It despises cold wind during the blooming, so shelter it from dominant winds.
• Refer to our guidelines on planting shrubs

Propagating osmanthus

Cuttings are the fastest manner of multiplying this shrub. Go ahead and multiply your osmanthus in summer!

Pruning and caring for osmanthus

Pruning isn’t a definite necessity for Osmanthus, but, nonetheless, it helps keep a dense, tight bearing all year round.

• Prune preferably at the end of winter but before the first buds appear.
• It’s also often practiced to prune after the blooming, so that spring flowers aren’t compromised.
• It’s also possible to pruning after flowering.
• Remove dead and fragile branches regularly.

Osmanthus can’t cope with deep cold or with sitting water, which is why you’ll have to protect it.

All there is to know about Osmanthus

Osmanthus isn’t a very common shrub, but it does have many advantages that other shrubs don’t have.

Its magnificent green, sometimes mottled leafage (depending on the variety) is very dense, and it is perfectly suited to flowered, not-so-tall hedges.

Its white flowers and deliciously fragrant flowers remind one of the smell of jasmine. In China, its flowers are used to flavor green tea.

Osmanthus is also called false holly because the leathery leaves are similar to those of holly, even if they aren’t spiky.

Lastly, you should know that if you hope to grow Osmanthus in a pot, nothing should stop you because this shrub is perfectly suited to growing in pots and containers.

• Best select Osmanthus x burkwoodii for growing in a pot or garden box.

Among the many interesting species and varieties of osmanthus, you’ll find:

• Osmanthus x burkwoodii
• Osmanthus delavayi
• Osmanthus fragrans
• Osmanthus heterophyllus

Which osmanthus to choose

The genus offers a handful of shrubs that are widely sold and easy to tell apart once you know what to look for. Flowering season, ultimate size and foliage decide which one suits a hedge, a border or a pot.

Diseases and parasites most often found on Osmanthus

Osmanthus are very sturdy and resist most garden diseases well.

You may witness an invasion of mealy bugs, but it isn’t very common.

• Scale insects: Techniques and organic treatments to avoid them.

Smart tip about osmanthus

To have beautiful flowers, in fall, spread a sac of soil mix with flower fertilizer added in at the base of the tree.

You can also pour the ashes from your fireplace all winter long nearby, it will increase the blooming in spring.