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holly osmanthus

Osmanthus heterophyllus · Oleaceae

holly osmanthus (Osmanthus heterophyllus)
Photo: KENPEI · CC BY-SA · via Wikimedia Commons

holly osmanthus (Osmanthus heterophyllus) is catalogued by the USDA PLANTS database. USDA records it as hardy in zone 6 and warmer, down to about -3°F.

At a glance

Mature height15 ft USDA
Lightpart-shade USDA
Water needmedium USDA
Growth ratemoderate USDA
Soil pH5–6.5 USDA
BloomSeptember–November USDA
Flower colorWhite USDA
Hardiness zones6 and warmer USDA
Nursery availabilityNo Known Source USDA

USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.

Growing conditions

It grows in partial shade. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated low. It handles periodically wet ground (USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance medium). It is recorded on soils from pH 5 to 6.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 6.

Size and growth

At maturity it reaches about 15 ft, making it a small tree or large shrub. It grows at a moderate rate.

Bloom period

USDA records a bloom period of September through November. Flowers are white.

A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.

Foliage, flower and season

Summer foliage is green, medium in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. It carries conspicuous autumn colour. Its active growth period is spring and summer. Its winter foliage is dense, which makes it useful for year-round screening. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.

What the site needs to provide

USDA records it across sites receiving 32 to 60 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 180 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 16 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.

Propagating it

Propagate it from cuttings, bare root and container stock.

Resilience and wildlife

Its fire tolerance is rated medium, and it can resprout after damage. Its growth form is recorded as multiple stem.

Tags

evergreenhedgewet-tolerant

Where this data comes from

Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol OSHE, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.

Read our full data sources and methodology.

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