{"id":757,"date":"2020-04-03T13:33:35","date_gmt":"2020-04-03T13:33:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/utia-dev.tennessee.edu\/news\/?p=757"},"modified":"2020-04-03T16:04:19","modified_gmt":"2020-04-03T16:04:19","slug":"ut-gardens-april-2020-plant-of-the-month-osmanthus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/utia-dev.tennessee.edu\/news\/ut-gardens-april-2020-plant-of-the-month-osmanthus\/","title":{"rendered":"Plant Osmanthus Now, Enjoy It this Fall"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

UT Gardens\u2019 April 2020 Plant of the Month: Osmanthus<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Submitted by Andy Pulte, University of Tennessee Department of Plant Sciences

<\/em>Gardeners in locales more southern than Tennessee have used different members of the Osmanthus tribe for years. Southern coastal areas even have an Osmanthus species as part of their native flora (Osmanthus americanus<\/em>, syn. Cartrema americana<\/em>). Perhaps the recent string of mild winters has enticed us to try new plants, or maybe it\u2019s the influence of social media and an abundance of online information that is expanding our plant palette, but Osmanthus, sometimes called the teaolive, is now finding favor in our state. I count myself among the gardeners happy to see this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nUT Gardens, Knoxville, has a nice collection of O. heterophyllus <\/em>that predates my arrival in 2005. This\ncollection has expanded as new cultivars have come onto the market. I have to\nadmit, I was nearly unaware of the genus before encountering it at the Gardens;\nhowever, it has become one of my favorite flowering shrubs, and I believe it\nwill continue to find favor with Tennessee gardeners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often\na plant\u2019s scientific name is in honor of a famous botanist or even a well-known\nplant explorer. For example, Forsythia<\/em> is named in honor of William Forsyth (1737-1804), a\nScottish superintendent of the Royal Gardens of Kensington Palace in London and\na well-known botanical author. In Osmanthus heterophyllus\u2019<\/em> case, its\nname tells us about the plant itself. The name comes from the Greek words osme<\/em>\nmeaning fragrant and anthos<\/em> meaning flower. The second part of its\nscientific name (specific epithet) comes from the Greek hetero<\/em> meaning\ndifferent and phyllus<\/em> meaning leaf. This name is spot-on as this plant\nis known for intoxicatingly fragrant flowers and leaves that change shape as\nthe plant ages. O. heterophyllus<\/em> has juvenile foliage that prominently\ndisplays spiny teeth and adult foliage that nearly loses its teeth altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

O. heterophyllus <\/em>is an evergreen shrub that most often will be 15 feet by 15\nfeet at maturity. It is a perfect substitute for many holly (Ilex<\/em> spp.)\nof the same size. I suggest you use it as screening material or as a backdrop\non the edges of a landscape. September through October, and sometimes as late\nas November, is when the fragrant teaolive takes center stage. Flowers,\nsomewhat hidden by foliage overpower even large gardens with their fragrance. When\nin bloom the shrub is easy to smell from more than 400 feet away; yet, the\nfragrance is sweet and not overly perfumelike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, why would a plant known for its\nfall bloom be featured as a plant-of-the-month in spring?  Great question. Even though O.\nheterophyllus <\/em>grows well for us, this shrub is often best planted in the\nspring in Tennessee. This timing gives young plants one whole growing season to\nfirmly establish themselves before the weather turns cool. Additionally, the\nenergy expended producing a mega-fall-bloom could possibly leave young plants unprepared\nto overwinter. So, plant this shrub now, and enjoy them this fall!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A quick note: be particular when shopping for Osmanthus. A few less-hardy species often find their way into the Tennessee nursery trade, specifically Osmanthus fragrans <\/em>(also called fragrant teaolive). This species is not particularly above-ground-hardy. Specimens that I have planted have died to the ground three times in ten years. Also, not all cultivars of O. heterophyllus <\/em>are known to bloom as abundantly as the straight species. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can find a variety of Osmanthus growing at the UT Gardens sites in Knoxville and Jackson, and some specimens are soon to be added to the Gardens in Crossville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UT Gardens includes plant\ncollections located in Knoxville, Crossville and Jackson. Designated as the\nofficial botanical garden for the State of Tennessee, the collections are part\nof the UT Institute of Agriculture. The Gardens\u2019 mission is to foster\nappreciation, education and stewardship of plants through garden displays,\neducational programs and research trials. The Gardens are open during all seasons\nand free to the public. For more information, see the Gardens website: <\/em>utia-dev.tennessee.edu\/state-botanical-garden<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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