Osmanthus Burkwoodii | Hedge Plants

Burkwood Osmanthus burkwoodii is an evergreen shrub that's tall and compact and grows up to 6-10' in it. This plant blooms in spring and flowers are inconspicuous but are highly aromatic. This plant is typically utilized as a hedge or as a specimen plant. This plant tolerate alkaline soils, pollution, shade, and drought. This plant is slow growing and does well in hardy zones 6-8. This plant is particularly resistant to damage by deer and has no serious pest and disease problems.

A slow growing, large evergreen shrub. Osmanthus x burkwoodii has small, dark green leathery leaves and in April and will , clusters of Pieris rapae and exceptionally fragrant flowers are produced in abundance- a prized plant for any garden. Burkwood Osmanthus is true for mixed shrub beds or as a specimen plant but it definitely go somewhere where its scent are often appreciated. an honest plant for an outsized hedge or screen.

This tough, evergreen shrub makes a superb screening plant, for it grows in almost any position - from full sun to shade and in most soils - and it gets to a considerable size. Its parents are the Chinese Osmanthus delavayi and thus the Turkish/Georgian Osmanthus decorus, which adds increased toughness to a stunning Asian shrub. Its leaves are 1 to 2 inches long, midgreen and leathery. Its fragrant, white, tubular flowers open in April. Its flowers aren't as clear a white nor as fragrant as those of O. delavayi, so relying on your garden's needs, that species could even be a much better choice. On the other hand, Osmanthus x burkwoodii features a robust enough constitution and massive enough stature to support a clematis to feature summer excitement. The GPP shrub folks suggest 'Duchess of Albany' or 'Etoile Violette'. This shrub combines with others with larger leaves, like rhododendrons and Mahonia. This hybrid was raised in England.

The false holly is extremely easy to grow fully sun to deep shade, although it'll flower less in additional shade. It prefers well-drained soil, but will tolerate sand and clay. it's drought tolerant once established, but would appreciate occasional watering during dry weather, especially if during a sandy site. It can grow openly while it's young, particularly if it's in shade- light pruning can help keep this shrub dense in youth.

There are two variants of O. heterophyllus in our garden. Osmanthus burkwoodii heterophyllus ‘Variegatus’ (Variegated Holly Osmanthus) grows in Areas G, S and M. it's attractive green foliage edged in white. Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Rotundifolius’ (Round Leaf Holly Osmanthus) grows in Area O. The latter has rounded, blunt-tipped, spineless foliage. Both are slower-growing than the species plant.

The Osmanthus burkwoodii is an under-appreciated gem of our Seattle Japanese Garden – and a favourite of mine. Renowned plant explorer Dan Hinkley calls it “an aristocratic and highly refined member of the dicot family.” Consisting of about 30 species of evergreen shrubs and little trees, Osmanthus is notable for its attractive foliage and little , usually fragrant, flowers. The genus name derives from the Greek osme (fragrant) and anthos, (flower). Most species are native to woodlands within the temperate areas of Asia, but the genus also includes cultivars (cultivated varieties, sometimes called “garden varieties”), and species native to the occident .

There are several sorts of Osmanthus in our garden, but just one is spring-flowering – Osmanthus x burkwoodii. the foremost prominent kind here, it’s a cultivar, not a species plant.

Our garden also has several sorts of a fall-blooming species native to Japan (and Taiwan). Osmanthus heterophyllus (formerly O. ilicifolius, known in Japan as hiiragi) grows here in Areas I and O. it's many common names, including Holly Leaf Osmanthus, Holly Tea Olive and False Holly. People often mistake it for a real holly (Ilex), but its spiny leaves are arranged “opposite on the stem” – unlike Ilex, which has alternating leaves. “Heterophyllus” means “having the foliage leaves of quite one form on an equivalent plant or stem.” Although the younger leaves are coarsely spiny, mature leaves are “entire” (simple in form, with smooth margins). Both kinds are thick, waxy in texture, and dark green.

O. heterophyllus blooms in late September and October, with intensely fragrant flowers that are mostly hidden by the foliage. They’re small, white, tubular, 4-lobed, and held in small clusters. Fruiting is rare . It grows at a moderate rate to about 8-10 feet tall , with an upright habit when young, spreading wider at maturity. In time, it can become treelike -- to fifteen or more feet tall. Hardy to USDA Zone 6 (average winter temperature, -10 to 0 degrees F.), it’s widely planted in Japan -- both pruned as a hedge and as a specimen shrub or tree during a mixed planting, allowed to retain a natural form. it had been first mentioned, within the 8th century, in Japan’s oldest surviving historical document , the Kojiki.

Holly Leaf Osmanthus burkwoodii grows in sun or part shade, and prefers moist, fertile, well-drained, acid soil. However, it tolerates drought, stressful urban conditions, and somewhat alkaline soils. Unless plants are stressed, it's no serious pest or disease problems. It’s not problematic here within the geographic region, but can become invasive within the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.

Minimal pruning is required. Remove misplaced, dead or diseased branches in late spring and apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant.

Spring-blooming Osmanthus x burkwoodii was produced in an English nursery before 1928. The “x” in its botanical name indicates that it’s a cross – during this case, a cross of O. delavayi with O. decorus -- species native to Yunnan and Western Asia, respectively. Common names include Hybrid Osmanthus and Burkwood Osmanthus burkwoodii. It grows in our garden in Areas C, D, F, G, I, L and S.

O. x burkwoodii may be a dense evergreen shrub with small, glossy, dark green, slightly toothed foliage. this provides the plant a more delicate appearance than that of the coarser-leaved O. heterophyllus. Its small, creamy white, 4-lobed flowers appear in March and April. They’re not as intensely fragrant because the latter’s blooms. However, the 2 plants have similar growth rates, preferred conditions, and tendency to not fruit. Both take well to pruning. O. x burkwoodii is slightly less hardy – to USDA Zone 6b, instead of Zone 6.

Combining beauty and adaptableness -- and hardier than O. delavayi, the parent it most resembles -- Burkwood Osmanthus is deservedly popular. It’s widely grown by wholesale nurseries and typically available for retail purchase in spring. Garden writers often recommend fall-blooming Osmanthus burkwoodii shrubs instead because autumn flowering is far less common. For me, however, the first flowers of O. x burkwoodii are more significant. Their delicate fragrance pulls me out of my winter hibernation -- and invites all folks to participate within the garden’s spring awakening.

My collection of early flowering perennial wallflowers bought from Hayloft Plants last summer. I can’t describe how desperate these looked during the reign of the beast, but their recovery has been nothing in need of miraculous, all now in bloom and lots of thereupon wonderful wall flower scent. I’m fairly certain that the trick is to grow them in stone pots, the closest most folks can get to their native habitats of rocky walls.

I started a bank of heritage primrose a couple of years ago; many have stumbled and fallen along the way but the stalwarts, ‘Dark Rosaleen’ (pictured at the top) ‘Lady Greer’ and therefore the peerless ‘Guinevere’ have stayed the course and definitely earned their spurs. But the foremost satisfaction has come from my Primula auriculas. If you think , as I do, that in life ‘nothing worth having is ever easy’ then the palaver that growing these capricious beauties entails is quite compensated for when their buds hospitable reveal color schemes like Faberge eggs. i do know in Elaine’s eyes this puts me within the same bracket as train spotters and people who hoover their patios. Caroline gets it (listen to her harping on during this little video) but actually lacks the moral fibre to ascertain the entire process through…..

And my final Spring Star is Brunnera macrophylla ‘Alexander’s Great’ (Siberian Bugloss). Some of you may know and curse the more usual brunnera which can make itself a lot too comfortable, certainly down here in Eastbourne. ‘Alexander’s Great’ is a much more refined version, sporting sprays of starry blue forget-me-not flowers in spring and beautiful large netted white leaves for the summer and autumn. SO much easier than Hostas – the snails don’t touch it! – and just as satisfying in a part-shaded spot.

I won’t be saying ‘no’ to the champers of course, but in Scotland we like to keep our feet on the ground and I have nothing but praise for the sturdy, evergreen shrub Osmanthus burkwoodii, described as ‘dense and slow-growing’ (L & E spring to mind) nevertheless it stoically produces lovely, scented white flowers at this time of the year. And despite a persistently cold wind it shows none of the ugly windburn which blights the cistus rose and viburnum tinus beside it in my garden. A top performer.

Far more tactile, pulsatillas would be my next choice. I love stroking their downy ‘teddy bear’ leaves as they develop, their flowers are divine, followed by delightful fluffy seedheads, and…..you’ll find you value this once you reach 60….they’re yearly dependable. Now if I’m making other flippertygibbet plants like trilliums or meconopsis feel uncomfortable when I say that, well, if the cap fits wear it (you’ll also find you sound more and more like your mother).

An iron clad shrub for western Oregon. It endures heavy clay soils, summer drought and the coldest temperatures we can expect with no harm. Dapper evergreen shrub Osmanthus burkwoodi with handsome matte green leaves. In February and March masses of small tubular white fragrant flowers crowd the stems and emit the perfume of vanilla. Very drought tolerant but adaptable to regular irrigation as well. Avoid permanently wet sites. To 7′ x 7′ in 7 years. Tolerates subfreezing wind and is useful as a hedge/windbreak in areas exposed to gorge outflow. Blooms on wood from the previous season prune- if needed after flowering. Tolerates quite a bit of shade. Very old specimens become exotic looking evergreen trees with umbrella shaped clouds of foliage.

A simple cottage garden favorite like Pulmonaria officinalis (lungwort) can make a partly-shaded corner sing with color in April. The bees love the mauve and pink flowers and their spotted leaves resemble little lungs, hence their Latin and English names. Anything with ‘officinalis’ in its name means that it was once used as a medicine – in this case, for lung problems, in fact! They look rather messy after flowering, so take the whole flower-stalk off and any tatty leaves, water it, and it will renew itself as a neat and attractive mound of leaves very quickly. Powers of recovery I could do with, frankly, after a night out with my Bookclub Girls.