Osmanthus fragrans
Sweet osmanthus · also Sweet olive, Tea olive, Fragrant olive
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Osmanthus fragrans is an evergreen shrub or small tree known for its strongly fragrant, small white flowers that bloom from spring to fall. It is drought-tolerant once established and can thrive as a street tree in warmer climates. Its berries attract birds, but it can be sensitive to direct sun in hot, dry conditions.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 6,7143.0%—3.5 in
- 2860.18%—3.9 in
- 50.00%—4.5 in
- 10.00%——
No city in this list records planting dates for this species, so age is blank throughout.
Traits
- Form
- Broadleaf
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Mature height
- 10–20 ft
- Canopy spread
- 6–10 ft
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Water needs
- Moderate
- Drought tolerance
- High
- Wildlife value
- Moderate
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov
Trunk diameters across every city: median 3.6 in, mean 4.2 in, 90th percentile 6.6 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
- Hainan Island monsoon rain forests
- Myanmar coastal rain forests
- Northern Vietnam lowland rain forests
- South China-Vietnam subtropical evergreen forests
- South Taiwan monsoon rain forests
- Taiwan subtropical evergreen forests
- Tenasserim-South Thailand semi-evergreen rain forests
Tropical & Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
- Central Indochina dry forests
- Southeast Indochina dry evergreen forests
Other Osmanthus in the catalogue
4 of the top 2,000 species are in this genus.
