Sniffing out Osmanthus These Shrubs and Trees Have Real Appeal for Their Compelling Fragrance, Hardiness and Variegation

New leaves on Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’ emerge red and quickly turn green. The green leaves are daubed with spots of creamy white, gray-green and yellow-green. Goshiki translates from Japanese as “five colors.” Photo courtesy of dennis’ 7 Dees

Sniffing out osmanthus These shrubs and trees have real appeal for their compelling fragrance, hardiness and variegation

By Elizabeth Petersen At Lan Su in early October, an greens are so aromatic that they are “Fragrance is king in a classical upright Osmanthus fragrans var. auran- harvested and used to flavor tea, wine, Chinese garden,” explained Glin Varco, tiacus kicked off the fall bloom with cakes and other delicacies. Traditional director of horticulture at the Lan Su masses of delicate orange blooms. Chinese medicine claims that antioxidants Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon. The bloom of slow-growing O. fra- in osmanthus can improve the complex- It’s no wonder then that the plant grans was getting underway elsewhere ion. The essence of osmanthus flowers is collection at Lan Su includes a signifi- at Lan Su, too. Clusters of tiny white also used to make fine perfume. cant assortment of evergreen osmanthus blooms, redolent of ripe apricots or shrubs and trees. All of them produce peaches, danced among the small tree’s Big in China enchantingly fragrant flowers — some in dark green, glossy leaves. There are 23 species of osmanthus spring, but most of them in fall or winter. Flowers from these attractive ever- native to China, where the plants

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boast wide use and symbolic impor- luck with the genus, however. Chris Steinke of Youngblood Nursery tance. They are associated with nobility, Pam Snodgrass, owner of P&D in Salem, Oregon, agreed that osmanthus and play a role in traditional Chinese Nursery, a wholesale grower of broad- is underappreciated by the public. wedding ceremonies as a symbol of leaf shrubs in Tualatin, Oregon, has “We here at Youngblood Nursery true love and faithfulness. had better success with osmanthus. Her appreciate them, though. They are low But as garden and landscape plants nursery supplies O. delavayi and O. het- maintenance, and they don’t need as in the U.S., the attributes of osmanthus erophyllus ‘Goshiki’ in #1 containers as much water as other shrubs we grow. All are surprisingly underutilized. Despite “move-up” material for other growers, #2 varieties look good throughout the year.” their hardiness and adaptability, their containers for retailers (“a nice size and The three varieties grown at evergreen foliage and exquisite fra- a decent price point”) and #5 containers Youngblood Nursery — ‘Goshiki’, grance, osmanthus does not have a for the landscape industry. ‘Purpurea’ and ‘Rotundifolia’ — sell very significant market presence. “I love osmanthus,” Snodgrass said. steadily, Steinke said, and demand has Arda Berryhill, owner of Berryhill “It is a good plant for us. We sell out been increasing for a few years now. Nursery in Sherwood, Oregon, sells across the board every year. We sell “Matter of fact, we have had more liners and containers of several varieties quite a few to landscapers. It is easy to demand for ‘Purpurea’ and ‘Rotundifolia’ of osmanthus. talk people into osmanthus because they than we can keep up with.” “I like the plant,” she said, “but they are beautiful, tough as nails and drought Steinke sees great potential in the are anything but hot sellers. O. delavayi tolerant when established.” genus: four more selections are “coming is the most popular, with osmarea (O. × Snodgrass recommended their use down the line” at Youngblood, he said. burkwoodii) next.” as hedges or screens, and as stand-alone Youngblood’s expanded assortment Some growers are enjoying good specimens. will include a few selections from the

Variegated false holly (Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Variegatus’) is an extremely The bright, year-round color of Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’ makes it tough evergreen shrub. The bright cream-edged foliage holds up well in sun a great choice for landscapes in the Pacific Northwest. O. heterophyllus is or shade. Once it is well established, it will produce tiny — but powerfully known for its wonderfully fragrant fall flowers, but this cultivar — at least fragrant — flowers in fall. photo courtesy of monrovia when young — does not flower. photo courtesy of monrovia

18 decemBER 2014 ▲ DIGGER Great Plant Picks program, which recommends plant varieties that thrive in the Pacific Northwest. Five varieties of osmanthus have made the GPP list so far: O. delavayi, O. × burkwoodii, O. ‘Goshiki’, O. h. ‘Purpureus’ and O. h. ‘Variegatus’.

Osmanthus by the X’s and O’s O. delavayi (sweet olive) drapes neatly over large boulders in the entry courtyard and one of the interior garden rooms at Lan Su Chinese Garden. The prolific spring bloomer “doesn’t pack the (fragrance) punch” of the fall bloomers, according to Varco. O. delavayi has other strengths. Leonard Foltz of Dancing Oaks in Monmouth, Oregon, has found O. dela- vayi to be a good choice for an espalier or a narrow spot in the garden. The ele- gant, classic combination of small, dark green, evergreen leaves and clusters of fragrant white flowers provide year- round interest. A slower grower than O. × burkwoodii, O. delavayi can be clipped into a hedge, allowed to grow naturally or grown in a container. O. delavayi gets 5–8 feet tall and wide, is very easy to grow in conditions as varied as full sun and deep shade, and tolerates a range of soils. It is hardy to USDA Zone 7. O. × burkwoodii (hybrid sweet olive) is another spring bloomer with clusters of fragrant white flowers in April. Although not grown at Lan Su, O. × burkwoodii has plenty of attributes to recommend it. Small, medium green, leathery evergreen leaves maintain a presence throughout the year, making the tough shrub a good choice for pri- vacy screens. A cross between the Chinese O. delavayi and the Turkish/Georgian O. decorus, O. × burkwoodii can get fairly large, 5–8 feet tall and wide. Adaptable to sun and shade, sand and clay, O. × burkwoodii is drought tolerant when established. It can even support climbing clematis to extend its seasonal interest. Foltz finds O. × burkwoodii to be the most reliable, vigorous grower. “O.

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delavayi grows well in the ground,” he ing shrub boasts striking variegated foliage Rarities in the field said, “but it’s not as easy to strike roots or that brightens dark spots in the garden. Other selections of osmanthus can to get established as O. × burkwoodii.” Snodgrass recommends ‘Goshiki’ for be found in the trade, but may deserve “Burkwoodii makes a nice hedge, its colorful foliage, attractive habit and production in larger numbers. although it can grow a little wild and tough constitution, requiring virtually no One of these, O. h. ‘Rotundifolius’, may benefit from some pruning to keep maintenance. Although not a fragrant holds forth at Lan Su, where its late fall/ it tidy,” Snodgrass said. bloomer, the color contrast of green, yel- early winter flowers fill the garden with Both O. delavayi and O. × burkwoodii low and the reddish tint of new leaves intense fragrance. The slow-growing are listed by Great Plant Picks as shrubs makes ‘Goshiki’ a popular plant that selection (usually about 5 feet tall and that perform well in very heavy, dry shade. “pops in the garden,” Snodgrass said. wide) has unusual leathery leaves that O. heterophyllus is called “false holly” Goshiki translates as “five-colored” look like little, flat paddles. because its leaves resemble spiky holly, in Japanese and refers to cream, pink, “People like the rounded, undulat- especially when young. Several varieties orange, yellow and white spots and ing foliage,” Foltz said. “The plant grows offer an interesting assortment of choices. swirls found on every leaf. densely and keeps a nice rounded They appeal mostly for their interesting A popular, multi-purpose plant, shape, so it is a good choice for smaller foliage and superior function, but their ‘Goshiki’ is useful as an informal, colorful spaces. It is always good-looking and flowers can be rather inconspicuous. hedge that only gets about 4 feet tall; it happy in full sun to part shade.” The most well known and widely works well in containers too, according “‘Rotundifolia’ is more of a rarity, grown of the species — the “hands-down to Foltz. Extremely tough and a little slow not seen a lot,” Steinke said. “It seems best seller” at Youngblood Nursery — is to grow, ‘Goshiki’ presents no problems to be sought after by the designer who the hybrid ‘Goshiki’. The very slow-grow- with propagation, Snodgrass said. wants something just a bit different, and

Osmanthus yunnanensis, shown at the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Blooming in April, the tubular white flowers of Osmanthus delavayi perfume is a shrub or small tree native to the Yunnan district of China. It has highly the garden. Adaptable and flexible, this evergreen shrub provides year-round fragrant white blooms in the winter and grows slowly, reaching a mature interest; it can be clipped to form a hedge or screen or left to grow naturally. height of up to 10–13 feet. photo by curt kipp photo courtesy of monrovia

20 decemBER 2014 ▲ DIGGER the garden center owner who has a pen- chant for the unusual.” In Steinke’s experience, though, ‘Rotundifolia’ seems to be the hardest to get to a sellable size. It needs time to fill in, but it does have small, white fragrant flowers. Perhaps the most striking of the selections at Lan Su is O. h. ‘Sasaba’, a very slow-growing, upright plant. The Premier Supplier of Nursery Products standout feature of this compact false • Shipping Materials - Stickers, shelves and holly is its beautiful, albeit sharp, foli- pallets made to your specs, pallet repair boards, age. Very narrow, deeply lobed, verdant shipping gates, tilt sticks, used pallets green leaves are tipped with spikes and • Packing Supplies held in erect clusters; the effect is gor- - Shrink wrap, banding • Planting Stakes geous. Fragrant white flowers appear - Multiple sizes available later in the fall. • Treated Lumber Youngblood Nursery now grows - Multiple sizes available ‘Sasaba’ as well as O. h. ‘Ogon’. ‘Ogon’ takes the brightening effect of ‘Goshiki’ to new heights: golden foliage keeps 503-434-5525 1726 SW Highway 18, McMinnville, OR 97218 • www.dstakemill.com 6152 its color throughout the year. A dwarf form that grows slowly to 4–5 feet with a widely pyramidal shape, ‘Ogon’ pro- duces fragrant flowers in fall. Another variety found at Lan Su, O. × fortunei produces extremely fra- grant flowers. Its leathery, evergreen leaves start out with somewhat toothed edges, becoming smooth with age. The drought-tolerant plant makes an excel- lent evergreen screen or hedge, and ROOTING COMPOUND will develop a large stature if allowed to Soluble Concentrate grow naturally. Youngblood Nursery also grows O. Continued excellence from our family owned company for over 30 years h. ‘Purpureus’, a purple-leaved selection popular with East Coast garden centers, according to Steinke. WOOD’S ROOTING COMPOUND 3 SIZES! O. yunnanensis, a native of south- Our unique formula uses only the highest quality central China, thrives at Lan Su. Its ingredients which results in instant absorption of leaves are among the largest of the both IBA & NAA to your cuttings. genus. The British website Architectural Plants claims it is “the most architectural 3 Convenient Sizes: of the genus, a large-leafed, distinctive, 4 oz. / Pint / Gallon evergreen little tree (to 20 feet) that is unaccountably rare.” Call Today For A Distributor Near You Elizabeth Petersen writes for the garden 503-678-1216 industry and teaches SAT/ACT test prep at www.satpreppdx.com. She can be P.O. Box 327 reached at [email protected] or Wilsonville, OR 97070 www.earthscienceproducts.com [email protected].

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