Are they the same plant just a diffrent name?
Sweet Olive or Tea Olive?
They are the same plant ... Osmanthus fragrans.
Thanks for clearing that up!
Htop what does the UBER mean under your zone?
Your are quite welcome. I have 3 of the swet olives and love them. Mine bloom several times a year. The blooms are very small and I smell their fragrance before noticing that they are blooming. Dave added the term "UBER" under my name because I have entered a lot of photos and information in the PlantFiles. It is his way of rrecognizing and thanking me for my efforts to help make the PlantFiles grow.
Here are some more UBER Gardeners ("Uber" means exceptional or outstanding):
http://davesgarden.com/pf/hof.php
Hi, Hazel! How are you? It's good to read you. LOL I want to plant some sweet olives. Where did you find yours? I have never seen them at a nursery.
silverfluter, I bought mine over 20 years ago and I don't remember where I bought them. I'll have to check at Rainbow Gardens for you. I have tried to start cuttings several times with no luck. I'll try agin in the spring.
Hi, htop. I looked it up on the Forest Farm website and they have in 1 gallon containers for $15. I didn't realize there were so many different kinds. If you have any success rooting it, I would really like one, but if not I'll probably order one in the spring. Have you figured out what you want in trade for the holly ferns? They are doing quite well BTW. I have pictures in the digital camera, but I don't know how to get them on the computer. I know just enough about this thing that I can talk in the forums and that's about it.LOL In fact Dave's Garden is almost the only thing that will get me to sit down at the computer.
Silverfluter, glad the holly ferns are doing OK. No need for a trade. I'll sure give you some rooted cuttings of the sweet olive (if they root, that is).
I just love my sweet olives but I really can't seem to make them happy. They live and flower but the plant just does not look pretty. Most leaves have brown tips and often new leaves just die all togeather. To me it seems like a water problem but I have tried more and less with no luck. I was also told never to fertilize it. Does this sound right to you? Any tips to make her happy?
Thanks
~Caren
Caren, once mine were established, I never watered mine. They do receive some water when I water the plants in a flowerbed that is behind them outside of my privacy fence. They are understory plants planted beneath live oaks. I have never fertilized mine. They have never looked like what you are describing. I'l check further to see if I can find out what the problem might be.
Maybe too much sun? htop you say yours are under live oaks. Are they in part or full shade? Mine gets full morning sun that tapers off around noon and then shade the rest of the day. (northeast side of house)
Mine are on the east side of my yard too. They receive just a little morning sun only on a small portion of the tops of the trees and shade on most of the trees most of the time. I just went out and checked the leaves. A few at the very top (where they receive the most sun) have browned; however, this may be due to too much wind after a thunderstorm we had. I read that they must be planted in a well-drained location because they will experience leaf thinning if the soil is too soggy. I haven't found any other information so far about what else may be causing the problem with yours except too much water and too much sun during the hot part of the summer. It doesn't sound as though yours receive too much sun.
Im glad you mentioned wind and I bet that is the problem there is almost always wind here from some direction. At least 5-10mph. There are no large trees or bushes to make any kind of an effectave wind break. Yet any way. I just finished planting a row of 20 Autimn Olive bushes to defuse the south wind. I live in a new subdivision and its just acres of flat grass.
Thay may explain why they have had the same problem in every area of my yard. I have killed several moving them from place to place(in Pots) till they seemed to do the best where I have them now.
It would figure the one thing I have no controll over.
How are they as house plants?
I have never grown them as house plkants so I don't know how they would do.
I found out today that Schumacher's nursery in New Braunfels has sweet olive trees in 5 gallon pots on sale. I think he said they are $12 or $14. The sale goes til Dec 18 I think. The guy I talked to called them shrubs though. Are they like crepe myrtles then? You can make them trees if you want or let them be shrubs?
silverfluter, I am sorry I have taken so long before replying. Wow, they are very expensive even on sale. You can trim them into shrubs I suppose, but mine are small trees. They bloom several times a year and were starting to bloom before the cold weather set in this week.
Heavenscent, after closer examination of my sweet olives ... the dead leves turned out to be dead oak leaves that had fallen off into them.
Oh no back to the drawing board! lol
I have moved it in to my entry way and no more leaves have browned. The new growth looks healthy so maybe it likes there. Bright but not direct sun no wind and no cold. If this dosent do the trick maybe Ill set it next to the compost pile so it can get used to its next new home!
I hope it does well in that spot so it is not condemned to the compost pile. :o)
Mine in Dallas were 20' planted on the east side sheltered by the garage. Mine here in Central Texas are 3 yrs. old and have been much slower at growing but I have so much sun here. I didn't have an eastern site for them so they are in the shade of a huge fig I planted. It's about 20' now after only 3 yrs. My soil has been really fed w/tons of leaves,compost, and horse manure. However, I have been stingy w/the compost and manure w/the Osmanthus. It likes the shredded leaves, though.
Hilary
hag49, I think that they will do well with the shade from the fig tree. Mine took awhile to start growing. They receive some shade in the summer from my house and a fig tree to their west, I haven't done anything for mine since I planted them over 20 years ago.
htop I finally got mine planted on the west side of the house, but in the shade of a live oak. It'll get some sun at the end of the day when the sun comes in under the branches of the oak. Will that be OK?
Mary Lee, happy birthday!!
Mary
Mary Lee, I think that they will be fine. Happy Birthday.
Thanks, htop. I have been out of touch for awhile because we've been working really hard. Having Amanda in college is a huge drain on out finances. Out DS was also working on our computer up-dating it. It does some really fancy stuff now.
I have been staying with my Mother the past 2 weeks after she returned home from a week in the hospital after suffering from double pnuemonia. I will be there next week while my brother who is her main caretaker recovers from an operation. She is recuperating very well especially for a person who is going on 94. I am sure glad our kids are finished with college. It is a financially draining proposition. I bet you will have fun with your computer upgrade.
Well, I'm glad your Mom is atleast doing well. How is Bob? The computer stuff is still not finished. He is slowly adding stuff. He just gave me an email account yesterday so now I can read the emails my brother sent. Couldn't read them before because we didn't have powerpoint. Now I just have to fight Tom for computer time. See you later. Mary Lee