Horticulture Hotline 12/16/19
Bill
Lamson-Scribner
While enjoying the beautiful Lowcountry weather yesterday, I
observed a few things going on in the landscape. One was my favorite smell in
the Lowcountry. Another thing I observed is going to require some action soon
for best results, and the third thing I observed was one of those things that
make you scratch your head and think that you can teach an old dog new tricks.
The Osmanthus fragrans or Fragrant Tea Olive has always been
one of my favorite plants because of its sweet smell. They bloom starting in
October with a very sweet fragrance. The flowers are very small. In Charleston
with the way the temperatures vary the smell seems to go away on those cold
days. Then all the sudden a beautiful day comes and so does the sweet
fragrance. I have been told the sun volatizes the oils that give the plant its
signature smell on warm days.
The Tea Olive grows fairly upright and likes sun to part
shade (sun brings out the smell). They do not like shearing with hedge trimmers
or shears. Horticulturally speaking, I don’t know of any plant that does like shearing.
Tea Olives do not like a lot of wind or salt air. I remember after Hurricane
Hugo I was involved with replacing the landscape at 1 King Street – The Fort
Sumter House (the big white building by the Battery aka White Point Gardens) –
and we built a trellis with a confederate jasmine on it to block the wind and
salt air, so the tourist and others could enjoy this Lowcountry jewel!
I have Tea Olives spread throughout my landscape. By my
front door and front porch, by my sidewalk and driveway (multiple), three by
the street for walkers enjoyment, and I even planted one by an area that school
traffic backs up near my house so that people could enjoy the sweet smell while
they wait in line to pick up their children!
Tea Olives are considered to be pest-free. I know I have
never encountered any insects or diseases. They grow tall. I have some over 12
feet tall and have seen some that look like trees at some of the local
plantations. There are some new varieties on the market that could be worth
taking a look at if you are considering adding this plant to your landscape.
Well, I can see I’m going to run out of column inches
(newspaper lingo), so I will cover the other two observations next week.
Holiday gifts? Pots, pruning saws, professional pruners,
custom programs, soil tests, and what I like best so Santa’s Sleigh doesn’t get
overloaded with Cotton Burr Compost – gift certificates!
Always read, understand and follow product label. The
product label is a Federal Law.
