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Osmanthus heterophyllus

Common name:	Holly Olive	Family:	Oleaceae
Author:	(G.Don.)P.S.Green.	Botanical references:	11, 200, 266
Synonyms:	Osmanthus illicifolius ((Hassk.)hort. ex Carriè re.), Osmanthus aquifolium (Siebold.& Zucc.), Olea illicifolia (Hassk.), Ilex heterophyllus (G.Don.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - Japan, Taiwan.
Habitat:	In evergreen forests from the lowlands to elevations of 600 metres[275].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Ilex heterophylla[G] O. ilicifolius[G,P] Olea aquifolium[G] Olea ilicifolia[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Holly Osmanthus [P],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	heterophyllus = differently leaved
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Scrophulariales. Olive family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 4m by 4m . It is hardy to zone 6. It is in leaf all year, in flower from September to October. The scented flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). The plant not is self-fertile. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Hedge, Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Hedge Wood.

The plant takes kindly to pruning and makes a dense hedge or screen[11, 29, 182]. Any trimming is best carried out in mid-summer[188].
Wood. Used for small furniture, toys etc[46, 61].

Cultivation details

Prefers a good loamy soil[1], but succeeds in any soil, including chalk, in sun or part shade[11, 184]. Dislikes unduly exposed conditions but succeeds in windier conditions than most other members of this genus[200].
Hardy to about -15° c[184], but plants are sometimes affected by severe prolonged frosts[1]. The form 'Purpureus' is said to be the hardiest variety[184].
Plants are very tolerant of being transplanted, moving well even when quite large[182].
The flowers are deliciously scented but plants only occasionally fruit in Britain[182]. If plants are clipped after flowering they will flower more freely each year[200].
A number of named forms have been developed for their ornamental value[182].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a coldframe[200]. Stored seed probably germinates best if it is given 3 months warm then 3 months cold stratification before sowing[113]. The seed usually takes 6 - 18 months to germinate, it should be pricked out into individual pots when it is large enough to handle. Grow the plants on for their first winter in the greenhouse and plant them out in early summer.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood taken at the end of July, in a frame with bottom heat[11].
Cuttings of almost ripe wood, 7 - 12cm with a heel, September/October in a cold frame. A good percentage. Plant out in the spring 18 months later[78].
Layering in spring[200] or autumn[78]. Partially sever the layer leads in the following late summer and plant out in the autumn. High percentage[78].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers are deliciously scented with a powerful fragrance[182, 245].

Cultivars

'': There are some named forms for this species, but these have been developed for their ornamental value and not for their other uses. Unless you particularly require the special characteristics of any of these cultivars, we would generally recommend that you grow the natural species for its useful properties. We have, therefore, not listed the cultivars in this database[K].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Oleaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[29] Shepherd. F.W. Hedges and Screens. Royal Horticultural Society. 1974 ISBN 0900629649
A small but informative booklet giving details of all the hedging plants being grown in the R.H.S. gardens at Wisley in Surrey.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[184] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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