Delavay Tea Olive

Osmanthus delavayi

Other Common Names: Sweet Olive, False Holly, Fragrant Olive, Sweet Tea, Sweet Osmanthus

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7a to 9b (10?) Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Evergreen Flowering Shrub or Small Tree

Height at Maturity: 4-8′, depending on pruning

Width at Maturity: 4-8′, depending on pruning

Spacing: 3-4′ for solid hedges; 9’+ for space between plants

Growth Habit / Form: Dense, Rounded

Growth Rate: Slow to Moderate

Flower Color: White

Flower Size: Small, 1/2″ tubular flowers in clusters

Flowering Period: Spring

Flower Type: Tubular, in clusters

Fragrant Flowers: Yes, extremely fragrant!

Foliage Color: Deep Grey-Green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: No

Berry Color: NA

Sun Needs: Full to Mostly Sun, Morning Sun With Afternoon Shade, Morning Shade with Afternoon Sun. All day Filtered Sun

Water Needs: Average, Low when established

Soil Type: Clay (Amended), Loam, Sandy, Silty

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Moist But Well Drained to Dry when established

Soil pH: 5.5 – 7.0 (Acid to Neutral)

Maintenance / Care: Average to Low

Attracts: Visual Attention

Resistances: Deer, Disease, Drought, Dry Soil, Heat, Insect

Description

The most versatile of all fragrant Tea Olives, meet Delavay, an unbelievably fragrant and extremely attractive selection perfect for smaller garden spaces. Delavay has so many fine attributes it’s hard to know where to start…so we’ll start with the flowers, which are so abundant they won’t go unnoticed. In early spring loads of intoxicatingly fragrant, tubular, jasmine-like, pure white flowers appear in clusters all along the stems, appearing much like a bridal wreath spirea. Arching branches on a rounded mound are covered with evergreen, deep grey-green glossy and toothed leaves that provide both unique texture and color in the landscape while also serving remarkably well as a backdrop for the flowers. Responding very well to pruning, Delavay can be kept smaller for use in sunny to partially shaded home foundation plantings or as a clipped or natural hedge from 4 to 8 feet in height. Also excellent for espalier (trained to grow flat against a wall). Just make sure to plant this one near patios, decks, porches and other outdoor living spaces where the fragrance can be appreciated and enjoyed!

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing 4 to 8 feet tall and equally as wide, depending on pruning, the Delevay Tea Olive is ideal for use as a specimen in smaller garden spaces or in groupings or as a hedge in larger landscape borders and home foundation plantings. Make sure to plant this fragrant wonder near patios, decks, porches and other outdoor living spaces where the fragrance can be enjoyed. A fine addition to fragrance gardens, cottage gardens, white theme gardens and the Xeriscape (low water needs).

Suggested Spacing: 3 to 4 feet apart for a solid hedge; 9 feet or more apart for space between plants

Growing Preferences

Delavay Tea Olive is very easy to grow in most any average, moist but well-drained acidic to neutral soil and full sun to mostly shade. We suggest at least 3 hours of direct sunlight per day or all-day lightly filtered sun for best flowering. Exceptionally drought tolerant when established. We’ve seen no insect or disease problems and deer don’t touch it. As with many other plants, a constantly soggy or wet soil can be problematic. No pruning necessary however responds well to to it for shaping purposes or hedges.

Helpful Articles

Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Tea Olive Osmanthus shrubs and trees.

How To Plant A Tea Olive

How To Fertilize A Tea Olive

How To Prune Prune A Tea Olive Shrub Or Tree

Plant Long & Prosper!

Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff

Questions? Contact Us