Osmanthus fragrans Tea Olive

Osmanthus fragrans Tea Olive

Osmanthus fragrans, commonly called Tea Olive, is a large evergreen shrub that can also be shaped into a small tree. Tiny clusters of delightfully fragrant flowers appear abundantly in the spring and sporadically throughout the year. It grows approximately 10-12’ H x 5-6’ W and is a great screening plant for sun to partial sun. In my opinion, every garden needs a tea olive. NC State Extension notes that fragrant tea olive is prized for its small but extremely fragrant flowers, with bloom activity in spring and again in fall, depending on conditions.