Fall Fragrance From a Little-Known Shrub

I would n’t say I ’m a full - on curmudgeon . However , a plant with spike that can hold its own against raucous neighborhood kids will always offend my interest . put down ‘ Sasaba ’ holly tea European olive tree , which score low on the touchy - feely scale but high on many other garden metric unit . Several species ofOsmanthusgrown in the United States are marginally audacious as you go below Zone 7b . I live and garden right wing between Zones 6 and 7 . One of the most popularOsmanthusspecies , fragrant teatime olive ( O. fragrans , Zones 7b–10 ) , has been frozen to the terra firma at my firm for three of the last 10 years . However , O. heterophyllusand all of its cultivars have always held their own in my Tennessee garden . They are distinctly hardier and have all-embracing adaptability across the state .

meet almost any tea olive in bloom is like a first date that went extremely well . And trust me — you need a second escort . ‘ Sasaba ’ , one of the hardier choice out there , is no different , with fragrant efflorescence that will captivate your senses as it comes into its own in early crepuscule . This cultivar made its manner into the United States thanks to plantsman Barry Yinger and Brookside Gardens in Wheaton , Maryland , in the late seventies . The name ‘ Sasaba ’ is Japanese for “ bamboo folio , ” refer to the dense clusters of leaves at unlike points on the branch . These leaves are dark green with eight to 13 spine - tipped lobes that are cut deeply and clustered in a elbow room that resembles tufts of pocket-sized bamboo leave of absence . ‘ Sasaba ’ holly tea European olive tree is slow growing and in most cases taller than it is broad . Over time it could peradventure give 20 feet tall , although it stays much little in my experience . I have rarely observed much fruit on any tea olives , but I have seen abundant fruit on ‘ Sasaba . ’ The fruit are small , oval , bluish - black stone fruit that hang under the stems . Growing out seedling will result in the same “ bamboo leafage ” chromosomal mutation . If you do an trope hunting for ‘ Sasaba ’ , you will soon find variations in the photos . This is most probable a result of seedling plants being sell and cultivar mix-up over time .

Yes , this is a prickly “ collectors ” works that will most probably never find its agency to a big - box store ledge . The good news is that it will seldom need rationalise , only some shaping , and will reward you with its nightfall fragrance year after yr . During the growing season , it makes a terrific backcloth to colorful annuals and adds unique texture to the garden . For most gardeners , ‘ Sasaba ’ holly tea European olive tree will be happiest if you plant and found it in fountain , so you ’ve get clock time to find the stark spot in your garden for one more flora .

‘Sasaba’ holly tea olive

Osmanthus heterophyllus‘Sasaba’

Zones:6b–10

status : Full sun to partial shade ; moist , well - drained territory

aboriginal range : Japan and Taiwan

— Andy Pulte is a faculty member in the plant sciences section at the University of Tennessee .

representative : Elara Tanguy

Sources

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