Osmanthus x fortunei
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- oz-MAN-thus X for-TU-ne-i
- Description
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Osmanthus x fortunei is a hybrid of Osmanthus fragrans and Osmanthus heterophyllus. It is a large dense, oval-rounded broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree that grows up to 15 to 20 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide. This plant blooms in the late summer and fall and has inconspicuous flowers that have a pungently sweet aroma. The leaves are shiny, and dark green, and in the upper part of the plant (adult morphology) the margins are entire, while those in the lower part of the plant tend to be toothed (juvenile morphology).
This hybrid was first introduced in 1856 to Holland by a German botanist, Philipp Franz von Siebold. The cultivar, 'San Jose,' was later developed in California in 1934 by W.B. Clarke Nursery in San Jose, California, and was introduced in 1941.
The genus name, Osmanthus, comes from two Greek words, osme meaning fragrance, and anthos meaning flowers. The specific epithet, fortunei, is named for Robert Fortune who introduced the plant to England in 1862.
This plant prefers full sun and moist, well-drained, acidic soil. It is tolerant of alkaline soils, pollution, and part-shade. It has a slow growth rate and seldom produces fruits. The plant is deer and rabbit-resistant.
This plant is frequently utilized in hedges, foundations, screens, as a specimen plant, or pruned into a small tree.
Seasons of Interest:
Bloom: Late Summer and Fall Foliage: Year-round Fruits: Winter (seldom occur)
Quick ID Hints:
- Large evergreen shrub or small tree
- Opposite leaves, both toothed and entire
- Decussate leaf arrangement
- Stems have lenticels
- Juvenile leaf is regularly spine-tipped, triangular teeth
- Inconspicuous white, fall blooms, highly aromatic
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This plant has no serious pest or disease problems. Scales and nematodes may be seen, and mushroom root rot may occur if the soil is too wet.
VIDEO created by Ryan Contreras for “Landscape Plant Materials I: Deciduous Hardwoods and Conifers or Landscape Plant Materials II: Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Root Sculpture
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Fruitlandii'
small, delicate flower - 'San Jose'
narrower leaf, finer spines on the leaf margins
- 'Fruitlandii'
- 'Fruitlandii', 'San Jose'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Fruitlandii'
small, delicate flower - 'San Jose'
narrower leaf, finer spines on the leaf margins
- 'Fruitlandii'
- 'Fruitlandii', 'San Jose'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Osmanthus
- Family:
- Oleaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Play Value:
- Buffer
- Fragrance
- Screening
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Deer resistant, drought tolerant, and slightly salt tolerant.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Columnar
- Dense
- Erect
- Mounding
- Oval
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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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:
- 12-24 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Blue
- Purple/Lavender
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Winter
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- This hybrid seldom produces fruits. If fruits are produced, they are ovoid bluish purple-black to black drupes that are less than 1/2" in size.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Tubular
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are small, white, four-petaled or lobed, less than a 1-inch in diameter, and have 2 yellow stamens. They appear in clusters of 10 in the leaf axils and are often hidden in the foliage. The flowers are fragrant but not showy, and they bloom in the late summer and fall.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Leathery
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Long-lasting
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are opposite, decussate, simple, leathery, lustrous, coriaceous, oval to broadly elliptic, acuminate apex, and have 9-12 marginal, triangular teeth on each side with a small spine or entire (on mature adult leaves). Leaves are dark green above and paler beneath. They are glabrous, 2-4 inches long, and 1.5-2 inches wide.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Gray
- Light Gray
- Bark Description:
- Some branches are gray.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- The stems are squarish, and gray, and have numerous brown lenticels.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Recreational Play Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Design Feature:
- Flowering Tree
- Foundation Planting
- Hedge
- Screen/Privacy
- Small Tree
- Specimen
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Rabbits
- Salt
