Holly Olive Osmanthus heterophyllus
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Osmanthus aquifolium
- Osmanthus ilicifolius
- Phonetic Spelling
- oz-MAN-thus het-er-oh-FILL-us
- Description
-
False holly is a broadleaf, evergreen shrub with a dense habit in the olive family (Oleaceae). It is native to Taiwan, Japan and the Korean peninsula. This plant is prized for its foliage and its small but highly fragrant flowers. The scientific name comes from the Greek words for fragrant (osme) and flower (anthos). The specific epithet, heterophyllus, is from the Greek hetero, meaning diverse, and phyllus meaning leaf.
False holly prefers partial shade to full sun in moist, well-drained, acidic soils. It tolerates alkaline soils, pollution, drought, heat, and urban conditions. It has a slow growth rate and withstands heavy pruning. 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. It is easily transplanted and is resistant to damage by deer.
False Holly is a large, dense, upright, oval-rounded evergreen shrub or small tree. It blooms in the late fall into winter and has inconspicuous flowers that are pungently sweet. Fruit ripens the year after it is produced, but it is rarely seen in cultivation and is not showy. The deep dark green leaves have entire margins in the upper part of the plant (adult morphology), while those in the lower part tend to be toothed (juvenile morphology).
False holly's leaves have an opposite arrangement whereas the leaves of true holly (Ilex spp.) are alternate. False holly is one of the parents of Fortune’s osmanthus (Osmanthus x fortunei), but Fortune’s osmanthus has broader and larger leaves with more numerous and evenly spaced spines.
This plant is used in hedges, screens, barriers, or as a specimen plant. False Holly is an underused shrub in the landscape and offers fall interest and is a holly alternative. Due to its size, it would be best to avoid using this shrub as a foundation planting; however, smaller cultivars are available.
Quick ID Hints:
- Leaves are opposite, decussate, narrow, elliptic, and evergreen
- Both entire leaves and leaves with 1 to 4 spiny teeth
- Very fragrant, white, inconspicuous axillary fall flowers
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: False Holly has no serious pest or disease problems, Observe for scale and aphids.
VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy, and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Plant Walls and Hedges Functional Foundation Landscape
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Goshiki'
green, gold, and creamy foliage, 5 feet tall, 4 feet wide - 'Ilicifolius'
Bushy form with prominent lobed spines new growth bronze. - 'Myrtifolius'
adult form, all leaves elliptic, entire, and only a terminal spine - 'Purpureus'
dark purple juvenile leaves, mature leaves green with a purple tint, hardest form - 'Rotundifolius'
slow growing dwarf form with remnants of lobed spines, less cold hardy, margins have blunt bumps - 'Variegatus'
leaves are green with creamy white margins
- 'Goshiki'
- 'Goshiki', 'Ilicifolius', 'Myrtifolius', 'Purpureus', 'Rotundifolius', 'Variegatus'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Goshiki'
green, gold, and creamy foliage, 5 feet tall, 4 feet wide - 'Ilicifolius'
Bushy form with prominent lobed spines new growth bronze. - 'Myrtifolius'
adult form, all leaves elliptic, entire, and only a terminal spine - 'Purpureus'
dark purple juvenile leaves, mature leaves green with a purple tint, hardest form - 'Rotundifolius'
slow growing dwarf form with remnants of lobed spines, less cold hardy, margins have blunt bumps - 'Variegatus'
leaves are green with creamy white margins
- 'Goshiki'
- 'Goshiki', 'Ilicifolius', 'Myrtifolius', 'Purpureus', 'Rotundifolius', 'Variegatus'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Osmanthus
- Species:
- heterophyllus
- Family:
- Oleaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan
- Play Value:
- Buffer
- Fragrance
- Screening
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Deer browsing
- Dimensions:
- Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 7 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
-
-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Perennial
- Shrub
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Oval
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
- Appendage:
- Spines
-
-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- 12-24 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
-
-
Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Blue
- Purple/Lavender
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Ovoid, bluish purple-black to black drupe less than an inch in size that is seldom seen in cultivation.
-
-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Flower Shape:
- Tubular
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are plentiful white, sweet-smelling, and are less than an inch in diameter. They have a 4-toothed calyx. Corolla's are campanulate and 4-lobed (lobes are reflexed). There are 2 yellow stamens per flower. Flowers bloom in the late fall, inflorescence is a short, axillary cyme. The flowers are frequently hidden by the leaves.
-
-
Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leathery
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Dentate
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are opposite, decussate, simple, coriaceous, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, acuminate-spinose, cuneate to broadly cuneate, entire or with 1-4 pairs of prominent triangular lobes bearing a spine. They are lustrous dark green above, yellow-green and reticulate beneath 1-2 inches long and 1-2 inches wide.
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Gray/Silver
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Lenticels:
- Conspicuous
- Stem Description:
- Twigs are light gray to tan with numerous, extremely small raised lenticels.
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Patio
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Cottage Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Garden for the Blind
- Nighttime Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Barrier
- Border
- Flowering Tree
- Hedge
- Screen/Privacy
- Security
- Specimen
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Heat
- Pollution
- Urban Conditions
