Osmanthus aquifolium - Holly Olive

Osmanthus x Fortunei Osmanthus x fortunei commonly known as ‘Fortune’s Osmanthus’ is a hybrid Osmanthus that originates from Japan. Osmanthus x fortunei is a cross between Osmanthus heterophyllus (small, spiky leaves) and Osmanthus fragrans (large, leathery leaves) creating a small multistemmed tree with sharply serrated, deep green, glossy, leathery leaves.

Another feature of the Osmanthus x fortunei are the fragrant flowers. They appear mid to late autumn in clusters of small white blooms hidden amongst the leaves and branches. Their sweet fragrance recalling a mixture of orange blossoms and plums, wonderfully strong and refreshing for the autumn months.

Osmanthus x fortunei is a brilliant evergreen that works wonderfully as specimen multistems or can be used as an alternative to other evergreens for screening.

FACT: Osmanthus x fortunei can be mistaken for Ilex (Holly) but Osmanthus have an additional feature that sets them apart. Their name is derived from Greek: Osme = Fragrance and Anthos = Flower.