Holly olive
Osmanthus heterophyllus
Holly olive is a shrub for structure, suited to full sun to partial shade and clay, loam or chalk, flowering Sep, Oct.
| Type | Shrub |
|---|---|
| Mature height | 200 cm |
| Spread | 150 cm |
| Aspect | full sun to partial shade |
| Foliage | Evergreen |
| Hardiness | USDA 6a-9a, RHS H5 |
| Pollinator-friendly | Yes |
| Pet-safe | Not confirmed |
Where to use it in a border
At around 200 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 150 cm of room to spread. It is hardy across USDA zones 6a to 9a and rated H5 by the RHS, so check it suits your area before planting.
It appears in our lists of full sun, shade, clay soil, chalk soil, evergreen plants, pollinator-friendly plants.
Border Builder uses Holly 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 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:
- Barrenwort 'Frohnleiten'to edge in front
- Bergenia 'Purpurea'to edge in front
- Black mondo grassto edge in front
- Blue Windflowerto edge in front
- Bugleto edge in front
- Camellia 'Adolphe Audusson'for height behind it
Garden styles
Sources
Bloom timing and hardiness drawn from: