Osmanthus delavayi Heaven Scent

The 'Heaven Scent' Osmanthus is a compact bush with fragrant winter flowering. Evergreen and adaptable to the soil, it will be perfect for small gardens and will find its place in hedges or containers.

Osmanthus belongs to the Oleaceae family, which also includes other garden stars such as forsythias, lilacs, and ashes. Derived from a selection of Osmanthus delavayi, a Chinese species, Heaven Scent stands out for its compact habit; bushy, it will reach about 1.50 m (5ft) tall and 1 m (3ft) wide, and its growth is quite slow. Between February and March, it is covered with small white flowers with four petals, carried in the axils of the leaves, with a strong fragrance reminiscent of jasmine. This will perfume your garden in the middle of winter! You will therefore have every interest in placing the bush near a path or close to the house, in order to enjoy it during a period when you are usually less often outside. Heaven Scent also has small, evergreen, dark green, shiny and leathery leaves, slightly dentate, which allow for the composition of a compact evergreen hedge. Pruning after flowering will help to densify it for this purpose.

Being quite adaptable to its environment, Heaven Scent osmanthus will be satisfied with any good garden soil, not too heavy or too sandy, not too poor. Part shade or sun will suit it perfectly. It is not frost-sensitive (it can withstand up to -15°C, or even more), make sure to protect it from cold winds that would damage its foliage. Like all evergreens, also avoid exposing it to the east during freezing weather, the morning sun can damage the leaves by warming them up too quickly. Its compact habit allows it to be easily grown in containers.

It will create beautiful country hedges in the company of shrubs with similar growth, such as Philadelphus Belle Etoile, Abelia Edward Goucher, Berberis thunbergii, Buddleja Nanhoe Purple, Ceanothus Henri Desfossé, or even Deutzia Perle Rose. Vary the flowering times to obtain a colorful cloud throughout the year!