Osmanthus decorus

A hardy evergreen shrub from Turkey, Georgia and western Asia with an elegant mounded habit. The sweetly scented flowers appear in the spring, developing into black berries by September.

Any soil, in sun to dappled shade. Good for windy sites (except coastal). Prune to shape if needed.

N.B. When clipping several plants with the same tool, have a bucket containing a 5% bleach solution and swish your blades around for 30 seconds between plants to sterilise them. This will help avoid the chance of cross contamination of disease.

As with all woody plants, plant high, exposing as much of the taper at the base of the trunk as possible. Allowing soil to accumulate round the base of a tree can be fatal. Keep very well watered when first planted.