Holly Olive Osmanthus heterophyllus

False Holly is a large, dense, upright, oval-rounded evergreen shrub or small tree that usually grows 8 to 10 feet tall and may grow up to 20 feet tall and equally as wide in the wild. This plant blooms in the late fall into winter and has inconspicuous flowers that are highly aromatic and 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). The False Holly's leaves are arranged opposite whereas holly leaves are alternate.

This plant is native to South Korea, Central and South Japan, and Taiwan.

The genus name, Osmanthus, is derived from two Greek words. Osme means fragrant, and anthos means flower. The specific epithet, heterophyllus, is from the Greek, hetero meaning different, 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. It is easily transplanted and is resistant to damage by deer.

 O. x fortunei has broader and larger leaves with more numerous and evenly spaced spines. The leaves on False Holly look like Ilex aquipernyi, but the arrangement of the leaves is different.

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.

Seasons of Interest:

Bloom:  Fall     Foliage:  Year-round        Fruits:  Winter (rarely seen)

Quick ID Hints:

• Leaves are opposite, decussate, narrow, elliptic, and evergreen
• Both entire leaves and leaves with 1-4 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.