The delightfully sweet scent of the Fragrant Tea Olive

I enjoy my job for many reasons. Each day is a little different. I am always learning new things and get to share that knowledge with others, and the satisfaction of helping others by answering their questions or assisting them in their quest to solve a problem is tremendously gratifying. Yet on some days, the reason why I love my job is much simpler. For the past three weeks or so, one of the best things about my job is the scent I inhale, each and every time I walk in and out of my door.

The plant responsible for this delightfully sweet aroma is one I’ve written about before, and though I try not to repeat myself in this column, I’m just going to have to break that rule this week. It’s not just me. We’ve had a number of visitors to the building come inside or corral staff members outside to ask which plant is responsible for the fragrance. The plant in question is Osmanthus fragrans, commonly known as Fragrant Tea Olive or Sweet Osmanthus.

Now, normally when a plant stops you in your tracks or inspires such wonder, it’s due to something visual- jaw-droppingly beautiful flowers, strange or unique foliage, or some other aesthetic trait. Osmanthus, however, is one of the most average, non-descript shrubs we use in our landscapes. It’s a broadleaf evergreen with slightly glossy leaves that would be hard for the average gardener to distinguish from at least half a dozen other shrubs that share similar traits. Even the flowers are barely noticeable, visually, as the individual blooms are each less than an inch wide and tucked into the leaf axils on interior branches. That is not to say it’s an unattractive plant. It’s perfectly fine in its averageness. It is, however, the kind of plant you barely notice until someone points out to you that it is responsible for the glorious aroma you’ve been trying to identify.

Above left: A close-up of the leaves and flowers. Photo: F. & K. Starr, CC BY 2.0 Above right:  The dense growth habit means that Osmanthus works as a tall hedge or privacy screen. Photo: B. Goodman. Below right: Since Osman-thus is best known for its delightfully sweet scent, this shrub can be placed at the back of a perennial or mixed border garden to allow shorter, showier plants in front to shine.

So how do you use a plant like Osmanthus in the landscape?  As a dense broadleaf evergreen, it can be used as a tall hedge or screen in the same way plants like ligustrum, many hollies, and eleagnus often are. It can be used at the back of a perennial or mixed border garden, where it allows shorter, showier plants in front of it to shine when they are in bloom, but contributes the sensory element of fragrance when it blooms first in spring and then again in fall.

It’s important to note that there are several types of osmanthus and not all have the same scent we associate with Osmanthus fragrans. Osmanthus heterophyllus, which is a plant with sharp spiny leaves that many people mistake for a holly, has no substantial fragrance, though it is arguably more attractive than Osmanthus fragrans. If you’re searching the nursery for that overlooked plant with the fantastic smell, make sure you go home with the right Osmanthus! 

Matthew Stevens is the County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Pitt County Center. If you have questions about this article or you have questions about this article or gardening in general, please contact the Pitt County Extension Master Gardeners at [email protected] or 252-902-1705.