Fragrant Tea Olive Tree - 3 Gallon

Fragrant Tea Olive - Evergreen Scented Shrub | 3-4 ft, Individual Plant

Fill your garden with intoxicating fragrance from tiny white flowers that perfume the air for blocks around. The Fragrant Tea Olive is a dense, upright evergreen shrub with glossy dark green leaves and clusters of small, intensely fragrant white flowers that bloom repeatedly throughout fall and winter. This exceptional southern evergreen has become the most beloved choice for gardeners seeking powerful fragrance combined with elegant year-round structure and heat tolerance. With its naturally compact 8-15 foot mature size and incredibly potent sweet scent, the Fragrant Tea Olive creates aromatic garden experiences while providing reliable evergreen screening and formal hedge potential. The small, inconspicuous flowers pack an extraordinary fragrant punch that can be detected from remarkable distances, transforming entire outdoor spaces into perfumed sanctuaries during peak blooming periods. Unlike many fragrant plants that bloom briefly, this remarkable shrub provides recurring waves of intense fragrance that actually intensifies with plant maturity, developing stronger scent production and more frequent blooming cycles over time.

Why You'll Love the Fragrant Tea Olive

Incredibly Powerful Fragrance: The intensely sweet, apricot-like scent from tiny white flowers can be detected from over 100 feet away, creating an enchanting aromatic experience that transforms gardens into perfumed outdoor rooms during blooming periods.

Extended Blooming Season: Produces multiple waves of fragrant flowers primarily in fall (September-November) and often again in late winter/early spring, providing months of powerful fragrance when most other plants are dormant or scentless.

Perfect Privacy Screen Size: Reaching 8-15 feet tall and 6-10 feet wide at maturity with moderate growth rate of 12-24 inches per year, making it ideal for privacy screens, foundation plantings, and formal hedges with the bonus of extraordinary fragrance.

Heat Tolerant Evergreen Structure: A sophisticated landscaping choice due to its glossy evergreen foliage, excellent heat and humidity tolerance, deer resistance, and ability to thrive in southern climates - perfect for homeowners wanting elegant structure with sensory garden appeal.

Fragrant Tea Olive Details

• Botanical Name: Osmanthus fragrans
• Type: Broadleaf evergreen shrub
• Mature Size: 8–15 ft tall × 6–10 ft wide
• Growth Rate: Moderate — 12–24 inches per year
• Light: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil: Well-drained, slightly acidic; adaptable to various soil types
• Water: Moderate; drought tolerant once established
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 8, 9, 10, 11

Growing Conditions

Soil Adaptability: Fragrant Tea Olives prefer well-drained, slightly acidic soil (pH 5.5-6.5) but adapt well to various soil types including clay and sandy soils. However, they perform best with consistent moisture and organic matter, and cannot tolerate waterlogged conditions or extremely alkaline soils.

Light Requirements: Performs best in full sun to partial shade, with morning sun being ideal for optimal flowering and fragrance production. Can tolerate more shade than many flowering shrubs but may produce fewer flowers in deep shade conditions.

Hardiness: USDA zones 8-11, making it ideal for southern, Gulf Coast, and West Coast regions with excellent heat and humidity tolerance. May experience some cold damage below 15°F but typically recovers well from minor freeze damage.

Care Instructions

Watering: Water regularly during the first growing season to establish deep roots. Once established, shows good drought tolerance but performs best with consistent moisture during hot summer periods and blooming seasons. Water at soil level to avoid wetting foliage.

Pruning: Prune lightly after main blooming period in late fall or early winter. Responds well to pruning and can be maintained as a formal hedge or topiary. Remove any dead, damaged, or crossing branches to maintain good air circulation and shape.

Fertilizing: Apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants in early spring. Add a 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch around the base to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and gradually acidify soil as it decomposes.

Landscaping Uses

Versatile Applications: Fragrant Tea Olive's versatility makes it suitable for: foundation plantings, privacy screens, formal hedges, mixed shrub borders, specimen plantings, container gardens, courtyard gardens, and as fragrant focal points near patios, walkways, and outdoor living areas.

Sensory Garden Excellence: The extraordinary fragrance makes Fragrant Tea Olive ideal for planting near windows, patios, and outdoor entertaining areas where the powerful scent can be fully appreciated, creating memorable aromatic experiences for residents and guests throughout the blooming season.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far away can you smell Fragrant Tea Olive flowers? The incredibly potent fragrance can be detected from 50-100+ feet away on calm days, with the scent carrying even further during peak blooming periods. A single mature plant can perfume an entire yard and often neighboring properties.

When do Fragrant Tea Olives bloom and how long does the fragrance last? Primary blooming occurs in fall (September-November) with occasional repeat blooming in late winter or early spring. Each blooming cycle lasts 3-4 weeks, with the most intense fragrance during cool morning and evening hours.

Are Fragrant Tea Olives deer resistant and easy to grow? Yes, Fragrant Tea Olives are naturally deer resistant and considered low-maintenance once established. They rarely suffer from serious pest or disease problems and maintain their attractive evergreen appearance with minimal care while providing extraordinary fragrance.