Osmanthus heterophyllus
An evergreen flowering shrub familiar to many, and for jolly good reason. Tough and adaptable to a variety of aspects and soils and easily clipped into tight little shapes or left to form its own gently-rounded dome of pretty little dark green leaves, sharp-toothed like miniature Hollies, up to 2.5 metres or so high, and with a soft texture that complements bigger-leaved and more coarsely-textured neighbours.
Hardiness level Amber
Sweetly-scented white flowers will pepper the plant in autumn, which is a bit unusual but that’s just when you need them. The blooms themselves are also unusual: teensy little tubular clustered confections that look like four-petalled bugles. The density of growth and general hardiness of these shrubs lends them well to hedging, but we think that planting a specimen (or several) for year-round interest is the perfect way to bring a sense of maturity into new gardens and fine-textured structure into established ones: they’re so versatile. Their height and spread can be controlled with gentle pruning and they don’t seem to mind this at all. Any reasonably well-drained soil in an open but not unduly exposed position will suit them, and Osmanthus does very well in pots, probably better than many. A fine specimen sat in a pot for at least 20 years in Campo Santo Stephano near St Mark's in Venice. A happy chap.
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| Situation | Coastal, Mild City Gardens, Plants for Pots, Sheltered Garden |
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