Osmanthus delavayi

OUTSTANDING QUALITIES
Combining tiny, very dark green leaves and small, fragrant, tubular white flowers, this evergreen shrub provides year-round interest. Blooming in April, its flowers perfume the garden. Its leaves are .5 inch to 1 inch long. Adaptable and flexible, Delavayi's osmanthus can be clipped to form a hedge or screen or left to grow naturally. Its very dark foliage and fine texture create a punctuation mark in the perennial border and provide winter interest when other plants are dormant. Combine it with shrubs with larger or paler leaves. This plant has a great track record: Its was collected by Abbe Delavay in 1890 in Sichuan and Yunnan and sent to a French nursery for introduction.

CULTURE NOTES
The false holly is very easy to grow in full sun to deep shade, although it will flower less in shadier conditions. It prefers well-drained soil but will tolerate sandy and clay soils. It is drought-tolerant once established, but it would appreciate occasional watering during dry weather, especially if planted in sandy sites. While it can grow openly while young—particularly when in shade—light pruning can help keep this shrub dense in its early years.