Delavay Tea Olive Osmanthus delavayi

Delavay tea olive is an evergreen, perennial shrub in the olive family (Oleaceae) from south-central China. The genus name is derived from the Greek words meaning “fragrant flower.” The species epithet honors Père Jean Marie Delavay, a 19th-century French missionary and botanical explorer.

This shrub is adaptable to soil types and is drought-tolerant when established. It will grow in shade but flowers best in sun to partial sun. It can be pruned as a hedge or allowed to grow to its natural form. When pruning, keep in mind that next season's blossoms will appear on old (this year’s) growth. Pruning may diminish next year’s floral display.

Delavay tea olive can reach 12 feet tall and wide but is relatively slow growing. The leaves are ovate or lanceolate and toothed along the margins. In early spring, it is covered in fragrant tubular white flowers in axillary and terminal clusters. The lobes of the corolla are shorter than the floral tube. The plants rarely produce fruit in cultivation. 

Delavay tea olive is a well-behaved addition to a border, cottage garden, Asian garden, sensory garden or winter garden.