Great Shrubs for Southern Landscapes

Volume 4, Issue 37
October 11, 2013
Great Shrubs for Southern Landscapes
Osmanthus is a genus of about 30 species of
flowering plants that are native to the United States,
Asia, and other parts of the world. These plants can
vary in size, and gardeners can choose to grow them as
small trees or prune them to maintain them as shrubs.
The leaves of Osmanthus are evergreen with generally
serrated edges. Strongly fragrant flowers are produced
in spring, summer or autumn, depending on the
variety. Two species of this genus are outstanding
performers for Georgia landscapes, and are readily
available in the trade.
Osmanthus fragrans
Osmanthus fragrans, commonly known as
Fragrant Tea Olive, is native to China, Japan, and parts
of the Himalayas. This species is an easily-grown
plant that does well in consistently moist soil in full
sun to partial shade. Once established, this plant is
drought tolerant, and it is adaptable to a wide range
of settings. It can be grown as a small evergreen tree
that can reach a mature height of 20 to 30 feet, but
this species responds well to pruning, and it can be
maintained as a shrub at any desired
height. Fragrant flowers are produced in spring and fall. Although
not particularly showy, these flowers
emit a heady apricot fragrance that
is guaranteed to cloak your garden.
O.fragrans is often planted around
houses and near doorways, where its
fragrance can be most appreciated.
Its leaves are a glossy, dark green,
and it forms a dense, handsome
shrub. We have a number of these
planted around the Arboretum office,
and they are currently in bloom.
Osmanthus fragrans f. aurantiacus
Table of Contents
Great Shrubs for
Southern
Landscapes
pg. 1
Flower Bulb
Planting
pg. 2
Lockerly Trustees
David Evans,
President
Joe Mangum,
Vice President
Sherrill Jones,
Secretary/Treasurer
Kathy Chandler
Rodger Flotta
Jan Flynn, Ph.D.
Doug R. Oetter, Ph.D.
Taylor Quedensley,
Ph.D.
Dede Reoch
Joni Smith
Bruce Vaughn, CFP
Al Woods
There are a number of outstanding cultivars of this species and
one particularly striking botanical forma that we have planted
in the Arboretum. Osmanthus fragrans f. aurantiacus has a
beautiful form and bears abundant orange flowers in autumn.
One of the best cultivars available is ‘Fudingzhu’, which is
sometimes called ‘Nanjing’s Beauty.’ This cultivar has been
known to flower for up to nine months with cream-colored
blossoms and a terrific scent.
Osmanthus fragrans ‘Fudingzhu’
Osmanthus x fortunei, or Fortune’s Sweet Olive, is an
interspecific hybrid between O. fragrans and O. heterophyllus,
named after the famous plant explorer, Robert Fortune. This
plant displays hybrid vigor and is a larger variety with dense,
dark green foliage throughout the year. It forms a dense rounded shrub that can grow to 20 feet in height in sun or light shade.
It responds well to pruning and can be maintained at any size.
Its dense habit and ability to be pruned to any size also make
it a good choice for an evergreen screen. Clusters of showy
white blooms appear in spring and fall. Two large specimens on
the University of Georgia campus are 20 to 25 feet tall with a
similar spread, resembling large green haystacks. Our Executive Director, Jim Garner, has a 20 foot tall specimen in front
of his home landscape, which he limbed-up ten years ago to
form a strikingly handsome evergreen tree that is currently in
full bloom. There are several notable cultivars of this hybrid,
the most popular being ‘San Jose,’ ‘Variegatus’, and ‘Fruitlandii’. ‘Fruitlandii’ was a selection form Fruitland Nurseries in
Augusta, GA, now the site of the Augusta National Golf Club
that hosts the famous Mater’s Tournament each spring.
O. x fortunei ‘Fruitlandii’ in Jim Garner’s home garden
Flower Bulb Planting
This is the season when flower bulbs become available in stores,
catalogs and websites. Although availability of these products is good this time
of year, the soil temperatures in this region are still too high to begin planting bulbs. Now is a great time to buy bulbs because availability of bulbs is
currently at its best. Waiting until cooler weather arrives to purchase bulbs may
mean the varieties you are looking for have sold out.
Flowers such as tulips, daffodils, crocuses, bluebells and hyacinths all
do well in the Deep South, if they receive proper cooling. A great strategy is
to by the bulbs you want now and store them in a refrigerator for six to eight
weeks prior to planting. This will provide adequate chilling hours, and they can then be planted once the soil temperatures
have dropped, say around Thanksgiving. Pre-cooled bulbs perform far better in the South than those plated too early in the
season.
Be sure when chilling your bulbs to NOT place them in the freezer! Also, once you remove your bulbs from the
refrigerator, plant them right away. Do not let the bulbs sit out in a warm environment for long periods of time.
Following these guidelines will ensure your flowering garden will be at its best. If you want the best options in
buying bulbs, now is the time to start looking!