Delavay Tea Olive
Osmanthus delavayi
Other Common Names: Sweet Olive, False Holly, Fragrant Olive, Sweet Tea, Sweet Osmanthus
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7a to 9b (10?) Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Evergreen Flowering Shrub or Small Tree
Height at Maturity: 4-8′, depending on pruning
Width at Maturity: 4-8′, depending on pruning
Spacing: 3-4′ for solid hedges; 9’+ for space between plants
Growth Habit / Form: Dense, Rounded
Growth Rate: Slow to Moderate
Flower Color: White
Flower Size: Small, 1/2″ tubular flowers in clusters
Flowering Period: Spring
Flower Type: Tubular, in clusters
Fragrant Flowers: Yes, extremely fragrant!
Foliage Color: Deep Grey-Green
Fragrant Foliage: No
Berries: No
Berry Color: NA
Sun Needs: Full to Mostly Sun, Morning Sun With Afternoon Shade, Morning Shade with Afternoon Sun. All day Filtered Sun
Water Needs: Average, Low when established
Soil Type: Clay (Amended), Loam, Sandy, Silty
Soil Moisture / Drainage: Moist But Well Drained to Dry when established
Soil pH: 5.5 – 7.0 (Acid to Neutral)
Maintenance / Care: Average to Low
Attracts: Visual Attention
Resistances: Deer, Disease, Drought, Dry Soil, Heat, Insect
Description
The most versatile of all fragrant Tea Olives, meet Delavay, an unbelievably fragrant and extremely attractive selection perfect for smaller garden spaces. Delavay has so many fine attributes it’s hard to know where to start…so we’ll start with the flowers, which are so abundant they won’t go unnoticed. In early spring loads of intoxicatingly fragrant, tubular, jasmine-like, pure white flowers appear in clusters all along the stems, appearing much like a bridal wreath spirea. Arching branches on a rounded mound are covered with evergreen, deep grey-green glossy and toothed leaves that provide both unique texture and color in the landscape while also serving remarkably well as a backdrop for the flowers. Responding very well to pruning, Delavay can be kept smaller for use in sunny to partially shaded home foundation plantings or as a clipped or natural hedge from 4 to 8 feet in height. Also excellent for espalier (trained to grow flat against a wall). Just make sure to plant this one near patios, decks, porches and other outdoor living spaces where the fragrance can be appreciated and enjoyed!
Landscape & Garden Uses
Growing 4 to 8 feet tall and equally as wide, depending on pruning, the Delevay Tea Olive is ideal for use as a specimen in smaller garden spaces or in groupings or as a hedge in larger landscape borders and home foundation plantings. Make sure to plant this fragrant wonder near patios, decks, porches and other outdoor living spaces where the fragrance can be enjoyed. A fine addition to fragrance gardens, cottage gardens, white theme gardens and the Xeriscape (low water needs).
Suggested Spacing: 3 to 4 feet apart for a solid hedge; 9 feet or more apart for space between plants
Growing Preferences
Delavay Tea Olive is very easy to grow in most any average, moist but well-drained acidic to neutral soil and full sun to mostly shade. We suggest at least 3 hours of direct sunlight per day or all-day lightly filtered sun for best flowering. Exceptionally drought tolerant when established. We’ve seen no insect or disease problems and deer don’t touch it. As with many other plants, a constantly soggy or wet soil can be problematic. No pruning necessary however responds well to to it for shaping purposes or hedges.
Helpful Articles
Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Tea Olive Osmanthus shrubs and trees.
How To Plant A Tea Olive
How To Fertilize A Tea Olive
How To Prune Prune A Tea Olive Shrub Or Tree
Plant Long & Prosper!
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