When the blooms appear, the heady fragrance of a tea olive tree is liable to make you swoon.
Key Takeaways
What’s that fragrance perfuming the garden air?
This species belongs to the genusOsmanthus.
Credit: Masao Akiyama / Sebun Photo/Getty Images
Osmanthusspecies are drought-tolerant, evergreen shrubs and trees thatthrive in full sunor partial shade.
Their calling card is the deeplyfragrant bloomsthat decorate the branches, which appear throughout the year.
Plant in the fall so the roots can get well established during winter.
These sweet little ornamentals bring great atmosphere to your outdoor living space, if not for their fragrance alone.
This plant is perfect for novice gardeners as it has very few basic demands.
Consider partial shade in the afternoon, especially if your area experiencesvery hot summers.
In the way of garden responsibilities, there’s not much that this plant can’t take on.
Partial shade, especially in the afternoon, can really help along the growth of this easy-going ornamental.
It also prefers an acidic to a neutral substrate with very nice drainage overall.
Aim to plant your tea olive in soil with a pH ranging from 5.0 to 7.5.
Water
When young, the tea olive tree will require some water to establish roots.
Water regularly during its first growing season, about an inch of water each week.
Once established, water weekly when there has been no rainfall.
Be careful to avoid overwatering.
Alternatively, you’ve got the option to feed with a natural organic plant food.
The best time to prune them is in early spring before leaves start to emerge.
Prune to control size and remove any dead or damaged branches.
Tea olives grown in pots for indoor use will need regular trimming of the tips to maintain size.
Propagating Tea Olive Trees
Propagate tea olives from cuttings.
Potting and Repotting
Tea olives can be grown indoors in pots in areas that are not winter-hardy.
Add gravel to the bottom of the pot and plant with potting mix for houseplants.
Repot into a larger pot with fresh soil as needed.
Overwintering
Tea olives dont need protection during winter in theirUSDA zones.
Dont prune until spring to avoid removing forming blooms.
Deadheading the flowers is not necessary.
Theyre resistant to drought, and not prone to pests and diseases.
This happens more frequently with plants grown indoors, but it can also happen in the garden.
Ease the transition by bringing the plant indoors at night when the temperatures dip below 50 degrees.
After a week, the gradual change will help the tea olive tree acclimate to the indoors.
Not Enough Water
Tea olive trees need some moisture, and dry conditions may cause leaf drop.
Not Enough Light
Too much shade can cause a potted tea olive tree to drop its leaves.
Place the plant in a sunny window indoors.
If you dont have enough light, consider an artificial light.
Pests and Disease
Fungal disease and scale can cause leaf drop.
Check your plant for signs.
If scale is a problem, treat the plant with horticultural oil spray.
Treat fungal disease with a fungicide.
For climbers, there’s alwaysclimbing roses,wisteria, and clematis.
Buthoneysuckle, a sweet, honey-scented vine, is a Southern favorite because it’s heat tolerant and hardy.
Heavenly-scented jasmine is an evergreen vine that can also be used as a ground cover.
Deeply fragrant’Honey Perfume' rosesare a deciduous shrub option, while intensely scentedgardeniasare a Southern classic, evergreen shrub.
Blue-purple drupes with a hard seed take six months to mature in the spring.
These trees are frost-sensitive, and frost can damage the leaves.
Any damage may affect its blooms in the fall.
Wait to prune any damage, as it may regrow.
Potted tea olives may be brought indoors to protect them from frost.
With proper care, tea olive trees can live for several decades.
Russ K, Williamson J.Tea olive.
Home & Garden Information Center, Clemson University, South Carolina.
