Osmanthus x fortunei 'SAN JOSE' Fortune's osmanthus, sweet olive
size/type
taller shrub,taller shrub
usual height
2-4m
usual width
1,5-2m
leaves
evergreen broadleaf
colour of leaves
flowers
less showy but noticeable
colour of flowers
blooming time
October-November
location
full to partial sun
soil type
acidic (peaty) to neutral
soil moisture requirements
evenly moist but well-drained
USDA zone (lowest)
7 (down to -23°C)
winter protection
for zone 5+6
for zone 7
categorized
Osmanthus
Osmanthus is a genus of only about 15-20 evergreen species and varieties, and a genus which I fell in love with the first time I saw a few plants of. Their leathery and sometimes spiny leaves resemble hollies but osmanthus plants have something extra which gave them their name derived from Greek: osme = fragrance and anthos = flower. Osmanthus has tiny but highly fragrant flowers. I was an amateur when I bought the first plants and I had no idea that in all encyclopedias they were rated too tender for our C.E. climate. And since I never knew I put them to my garden. And after some 15 years of growing I can assure you that all of them not only survived even the worst winter of 2006/2007, they thrive and some of them are taller than me and I am very close to 2m. Including the most tender one o.fragrans. I keep on trialing more species and varieties because I noticed that they have some genetic predisposition for extreme drought tolerance in summer and some are even happy with dry soil in winter. And with current lack of precipitation we will need more of drought tolerant plants.Fortune's osmanthus is a cross between o.heterophyllus (small, spiny leaves) and o.fragrans (large, entire leaves). It was first brought from Japan to Europe to Holland Philipp Franz von Siebold in 1856. Over the years its name has developed from osmanthus aquifolium to o.aquifolium var.latifolius to currently accepted and preferred name osmanthus x fortunei in honour of Scottish botanist Robert Fortune, and including the "x" making sure it is a hybrid.
Description of the plant:
San Jose is a Fortune's osmanthus variety developed by an influential American breeder Walter Bosworth Clarke in his nursery in San Jose, California, and introduced in 1941. It is a mid-sized shrub or a small multistemmed tree with leathery, deep green, and glossy leaves with serrated rather than spiny margins. From mid-autumn open tiny but very fragrant, pale beige flowers whose strong and sweet scent recalls apricots and tangerines. The fragrance is released mostly in the afternoon and in warm and sunny days of late autumn the shrub can fill a small garden with its enchanting scent.It grows moderately into an upright, well-branched shrub whose mature size of about 3-4 meters can be expected in 40-50 years in C.E. conditions. Still, it can easily be controlled by pruning since osmanthus respond well to pruning and bush out reliably (much better than hollies). Spring pruning will enhance production of new twigs, summer trimming/clipping is good for shaping.
Grow osmanthus in well-drained, never water-logged, humus rich, preferably acidic soil. It loves full sun but in colder regions find it a location hidden from late winter and early spring sunlight but with plenty of light during the growing season. Having said that, we tested it in many locations of the Czech Republic and it seems reliable just like large-leaved green hollies without an extra fuss. Just make sure to transplant slightly larger plants if growing in zone 6 in order to avoid frost damage after the first winter(s). It is perfectly hardy to -20°C without damage, and is expected to withstand -24°C (USDA zone 6). Once established, it is reliably drought-tolerant and does not require winter watering like many other evergreen shrubs.
Last update 04-11-2024
QUICK PRICE OVERVIEW
shrub
height 40-50 cm, width 30-40 cm
1 395 Kč
shrub
height 40-50 cm, width 30-40 cm
1 395 Kč
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GLOSSARY
- STANDARD QUALITY - Plants of this group are 1st class quality with number of branches and overall density adequate to their size and age, considering they were container grown.
- DE LUXE QUALITY - This label guarantees a luxurious quality of manually selected plants that, compared to their height and age, are exceptionally dense and beautiful.
- EXTRA - These plants are usually mature and bigger specimens with exceptional overall appearance.
- STANDARD (as described in the plant form) means a tree with a trunk of 190-210 cm and a crown at the top, unless specified differently. The commercial size for trees is their girth measured in the height of 1m from ground.
- HOBBY - These plants are of the same quality as our standard-quality plants but younger and therefore cheaper.
- SHRUB - a woody plant with branches growing bushy from the ground level.
- HALF-STANDARD or MINI-STANDARD - a small tree with shorter trunk, its size is usually specified.
- FEATHERED - These are trees with branches growing already from the base of the trunk and up along the stem.
- GRASSES and PERENNIALS - Sizes given usually read the diameter of the pot or the clump, as specified.
