Osmanthus Fragrant Tea Olive (3 Gal)

Osmanthus fragrans

Bring timeless Southern fragrance and year-round greenery to the landscape with Fragrant Tea Olive, a classic evergreen shrub prized for its glossy green foliage and intensely sweet, apricot-like flowers.

Tea Olive is one of the South’s most beloved fragrant shrubs because even a small cluster of blooms can perfume an entire porch, walkway, or garden area. It works beautifully near entries, patios, property lines, and outdoor living spaces where its fragrance can be enjoyed up close.

Plant at a Glance

Botanical Name: Osmanthus fragrans
Common Names: Fragrant Tea Olive, Sweet Olive
Container Size: 3 Gallon
Plant Type: Large evergreen flowering shrub or small tree
Annual or Perennial: Perennial
Evergreen or Deciduous: Evergreen
USDA Hardiness Zones: Generally 7–10
Mature Height: Approximately 10–20 feet tall
Mature Width: Approximately 6–12 feet wide
Growth Habit: Upright, dense, rounded to vase-shaped
Growth Rate: Moderate
Sunlight: Full sun to part shade
Water Needs: Moderate while establishing; lower once established
Foliage: Glossy dark green
Flowers: Yes
Bloom Season: Most heavily in fall and spring, with intermittent flowering possible during mild weather
Flower Color: Creamy white
Fragrance: Very fragrant — sweet, fruity, apricot-like scent
Primary Feature: Exceptional fragrance with evergreen foliage

Why We Love Tea Olive

Tea Olive is one of those plants you often smell before you see.

Its flowers are small and understated, but their fragrance is exceptionally strong and sweet. That makes Tea Olive perfect for places where people naturally gather or walk by.

It also gives you year-round evergreen structure, so even when it is not blooming, it remains an attractive landscape shrub.

Sunlight Requirements

Tea Olive performs best in:

Full sun to part shade

For strong flowering, provide approximately 4–6 or more hours of sunlight per day.

In hotter Southern climates, some afternoon shade can be beneficial, especially in areas with intense reflected heat.

Wright’s Market Recommendation

In southeast Georgia, Tea Olive is especially happy with:

Morning sun + afternoon shade

or

Bright filtered light with several hours of direct sun

This gives you healthy foliage and good flowering while reducing summer stress.

Watering

Immediately After Planting

Water deeply after planting so the root ball and surrounding soil are thoroughly moistened.

First Growing Season

Water approximately 1–2 times per week, adjusting for rainfall, heat, and soil type.

During prolonged summer heat, newly planted 3-gallon shrubs may require additional water.

Once Established

Tea Olive becomes moderately drought tolerant once established.

Water deeply during extended dry periods, especially during flowering and extreme summer heat.

Avoid keeping the soil constantly saturated.

Fertilization

Fertilize in early spring as new growth begins.

Use a balanced, slow-release shrub and tree fertilizer according to package directions.

An acid-loving shrub fertilizer may also be used where appropriate.

Avoid excessive fertilizer, which can encourage leafy growth at the expense of flowers.

Planting Instructions

1. Water the plant thoroughly before planting.
2. Choose a location with full sun to part shade.
3. Allow enough room for its mature size.
4. Dig a hole approximately twice as wide as the root ball, but no deeper.
5. Carefully remove the plant from its 3-gallon container.
6. Gently loosen tightly circling roots.
7. Position the top of the root ball level with or slightly above the surrounding soil.
8. Backfill with the existing soil.
9. Water deeply to settle the soil.
10. Apply approximately 1–2 inches of pine straw or mulch, keeping it away from the trunk or main stems.

Soil

Tea Olive prefers:

Moist, well-drained soil
Slightly acidic soil
Moderately fertile garden soil

It adapts to many Southern soils once established, but good drainage is important.

Avoid locations where water stands for long periods after rain.

Pruning & Maintenance

Tea Olive is naturally attractive and usually requires only light pruning.

It can be maintained as:

• A large shrub
• Informal hedge
• Privacy screen
• Small ornamental tree
• Fragrant specimen plant

Best Time to Prune

Prune after the main flowering period or in late winter before spring growth begins.

Light shaping can be done as needed.

For the best fragrance and natural appearance, avoid repeatedly shearing Tea Olive into a hard geometric shape.

Does Tea Olive Flower?

Yes — and fragrance is its signature feature.

Tea Olive produces small clusters of creamy-white flowers that are far more fragrant than their size suggests.

Bloom Season

The strongest flowering usually occurs in:

Fall
and again in
Spring

In mild Southern climates, plants may also bloom intermittently during other cool or moderate periods.

Evergreen or Deciduous?

Evergreen.

Tea Olive keeps its glossy green foliage throughout the year in its recommended growing zones.

This makes it especially valuable near patios, porches, and entries where you want permanent greenery along with seasonal fragrance.

Zone 9 / Coastal Georgia Performance

Tea Olive is an excellent choice for southeast Georgia.

It handles:

• Heat
• Humidity
• Full sun to part shade
• Mild winters
• Periodic drought once established

Zone 8b/9a is especially well suited to this plant.

For best results, protect newly planted shrubs from severe drought during their first summer and give them well-drained soil.

Landscape Uses

Tea Olive is excellent for:

• Entryways
• Porches
• Patios
• Walkways
• Privacy screens
• Evergreen hedges
• Property lines
• Foundation backdrops
• Fragrance gardens
• Cottage gardens
• Southern traditional landscapes
• Specimen shrubs

Best Placement

Plant Tea Olive where you can enjoy the fragrance.

Near a porch, front door, patio, or frequently used walkway is often more rewarding than placing it at the back of the property.

Spacing

Allow approximately 6–12 feet of mature width, depending on how naturally you plan to let the plant grow.

For a privacy screen, plants may be spaced closer depending on the desired effect.

Wright’s Market Tip

Do not judge Tea Olive by its 3-gallon starting size.

This can become a large evergreen shrub or small tree, so give it enough room from the beginning.

Beautiful Plant Pairings

Tea Olive pairs beautifully with:

Evergreen Structure
Soft Touch® Holly
Vintage Jade® Distylium
Babylon Beauty™ Boxwood
Podocarpus

Flowering Shrubs
Hydrangeas
Camellias
Encore® Azaleas
Gardenias
Rose Creek Abelia

Lower-Growing Texture
Big Blue Liriope
Asiatic Jasmine
Carex
Ferns

Wright’s Market Designer Combination

Try:

Tea Olive + white camellias + Soft Touch Holly + Big Blue Liriope

Tea Olive provides height and fragrance, camellias add classic Southern blooms, Soft Touch gives low evergreen structure, and liriope finishes the front edge.

The result feels layered, timeless, and unmistakably Southern.

Why Wright’s Market Loves It

We love Fragrant Tea Olive because it combines everything we want in a Southern landscape plant:

Evergreen foliage
Exceptional fragrance
Beautiful year-round structure
Heat tolerance
Versatility in sun or part shade
Classic Southern character

For customers who want a plant that makes the entire garden feel special when it blooms, Tea Olive is hard to beat.

Wright’s Market Plant Tip

Plant Tea Olive close enough to enjoy the fragrance.

A porch, patio, entry, or walkway is ideal. When those creamy-white flowers open, the sweet scent can travel surprisingly far.

Please note: Plant height, width, fullness, bloom timing, and fragrance intensity vary depending on season and growing conditions. A 3-gallon Tea Olive is a young landscape plant and will continue developing toward its mature size after planting.