Fragrant Tea Olive
From PlantWiki
| Fragrant Tea Olive |
|---|
 Fragrant Tea Olive |
| Species |
| Osmanthus fragrans |
Contents |
History
The Osmanthus fragrans bears several common names. It can be referred to as “Tea Olive”, “Sweet Olive”, “Fragrant Olive” or even a combination of these like “Fragrant Tea Olive”. This evergreen plant is native to China, the Himalayas and southern Japan. In China it is known as the Sweet Osmanthus and holds such high regard that in Hangzhou it holds the honor of being the city flower.
The Fragrant Tea Olive is a large evergreen shrub or small tree that in its natural habitat can reach a lofty 40 feet in height. China has actual perfumed forests of Osmanthus. A tea is made from its leaves in Asia and the blossoms are used in culinary dishes, to make scented jam and even as an ingredient for a Japanese liquor known as guì hua jiu.
In 1785, Louis XVI sent his royal botanist to the New World to discover new plants that would have value for France. André Michaux explored the Florida territory and ended up in Charleston, SC where he started a botanical garden to house his new plant collection. When he sent parts of his prized new finds home, France returned the favor and sent him exotic plants from home. As part of this exchange, the Fragrant Tea Olive arrived in North America in about 1786 and was planted in Michaux’s garden. The shrub traveled to America in the company of other yard and garden favorites like the Mimosa tree, Crape Myrtle, Tea Camellia and the Southern Magnolia.
Characteristics
The ovate leaves of the Osmanthus fragrans are from 3” to 6” long and up to about 2” wide. They are rich green in color with a glossy surface. The shrub is densely foliated and upright growing, maturing to at least 8 feet wide and 10 feet tall in cultivation.
Fragrant Tea Olives bloom from spring through fall, filling the air with delicious scent that is described as similar to the fruit of peaches or apricots. The tiny tubular white flowers grow in clusters and are not noticeable enough to be deemed ornamental. What they lack in beauty is more than made up for with their perfume in spring and most abundantly in the fall. The blue-black berries produced from the Tea Olive’s blooms are an important source of winter food for wild birds.
The Osmanthus fragrans is easy to grow and drought tolerant. It is best planted in full sun to partial shade and adapts to a variety of soils. Fragrant Tea Olive is hardy in zone 7-9 in North America. Once established, this is a somewhat drought tolerant evergreen that is resistant to plant pests and diseases
Uses
Osmanthus fragrans are excellent used as privacy screening or hedges. They can add an evergreen element that can be used in many styles of landscape design. The shape can be maintained softly with some light hand clipping for a natural effect. Its thick natural branching pattern makes it take nicely to shearing for more a formal appearance.
Home Use
The Fragrant Tea Olive is best used where height is needed in landscape plantings. A shrub that will over time become quite large, it is wise to plant them where they will be best displayed in their full body. It can be used to hide utilities and air conditioners, add height to the corners of a house in the foundation planting or where ever a large, upright evergreen shrub is called for.
To enjoy the scented breeze while in bloom, residential landscapes will gain much heightened benefit with Fragrant Tea Olives strategically planted throughout the yard. When kept trimmed to maintain a dense growth pattern the plant adds a handsome four-season presence to the landscape or garden.
The Fragrant Tea Olive is also used to create espaliers in tighter landscape areas where all year foliage keeps the view more uplifting in the duller months of winter. This would make it an excellent candidate to cover an unsightly chain link fence in many a yard.