Tea Olive
Osmanthus fragrans
Tea Olive is a shrub for structure, suited to full sun to partial shade and clay, loam or acid soil, flowering Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov.
| Type | Shrub |
|---|---|
| Mature height | 300 cm |
| Spread | 240 cm |
| Aspect | full sun to partial shade |
| Foliage | Evergreen |
| Hardiness | USDA 7a-10b |
| Pollinator-friendly | Yes |
| Pet-safe | Not confirmed |
Where to use it in a border
At around 300 cm, it sits best toward the back of a border, or on its own as a focal point with room around it. Give it about 240 cm of room to spread. It is hardy across USDA zones 7a to 10b, so check it suits your area before planting.
It appears in our lists of full sun, shade, clay soil, acid soil, evergreen plants, pollinator-friendly plants.
Border Builder uses Tea Olive's height, spread, soil, bloom months and companions to place it in a full border plan for your own conditions, on iPhone and iPad.
Flowering through the year
Worth knowing
- Evergreen, so it keeps the border furnished through winter.
- It tolerates acid soil but dislikes shallow chalk.
- It tolerates a shaded, north-facing spot.
- Its flowers are valued by bees and other pollinators.
Good companions
Plants that share its conditions and style, chosen to complement its place in the border:
- Lilyturf 'Big Blue'to edge in front
- Pittosporum 'Wheeler's Dwarf'to edge in front
- Variegated Lilyturfto edge in front
- Abelia 'Kaleidoscope'to edge in front
- African Marigoldto edge in front
- Alumroot 'Palace Purple'to edge in front
Garden styles
Formal Foundation planting Mediterranean Woodland
Sources
Bloom timing and hardiness drawn from: