Hello everyone. I am new to posting but not to reading the forums. I was wondering if anyone has a tall hedge of tea olive, and if so, does it look pretty good year round?
Also, do any of you grow Solomon's Seal? Do you like it?
thanks!
Tea Olive, Osmanthus fragrans
Have both.
I love the sweet olive for the fragrance, but I can't say that it is a beautiful shrub. It is rather gangly - not full, so I have them on the side of my house where their gangliness doesn't annoy, but I can still enjoy the wonderful aroma.
I have the dwarf variegated Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’), and yes, I do like it. I always look forward to its arrival in the spring.
I have a friend in south Houston, the Almeda area, who has two sweet olive plants in
her front yard. I remember that she planted them in the mid 80's. Not a hedge just
specimen plantings but I cant help but think that they would be great as a hedge.
They are both about10 to 12 feet tall and about 6 feet thick and very full. They
are in full sun most of the day. I am about 80 miles east of her and my sweet olives
don't do as well but they are new plantings.
I started with mine in sun, and they suffered greatly. Finally moved them to a morning sun only location, and they are thriving. Interesting.... But mine are only about 5 years old.
A nursery in Nacogdoches planted a hedge of sweet olive between their property and a chicken farm. They wanted, and got, a sweet smelling screen. Now, if it compensated for the chicken stench, I don't know. That's a tall order for any plant. The nurseryman who did this is one awesome horticulturist and anything he does has been well thought out.
Here's one of the several sweet olives I've planted in varying conditions. I've got one each on the four sides of the house and one away from the house with out any protection and in the sun all day long. All are doing well.
Antiqued Rose, your plant looks very full and pretty.
I looked at another forum on Fragrant Plants and saw a picture of a Tea Olive that had grown into a good-sized tree; it was 10 years old and had been planted from a 2-gal. size, I believe.
I think I've got just enough room for a Tea Olive hedge, but I'm glad to know I shouldn't plant them too closely together. They will be in back of some crape myrtles. If they get a little gangly, it will probably be okay... Now, for finding the most fragrant variety...