Skip to content
Log inStart trial

Sweet Olive

Osmanthus Fragrans

Design with this plant

Overview

Sweet Olive (Osmanthus fragrans), an evergreen shrub with a height and spread of 6-30 feet, offers dense, leathery foliage and small, white, highly fragrant blossoms which peak in autumn. Thriving in USDA zones 7-9, they prefer full to partial sun and well-drained soil. Regular pruning maintains size and shape. Ideal as a hedge or specimen plant, it attracts pollinators while providing year-round visual and olfactory appeal in temperate landscapes.

Sun Full, HalfWater MediumZones 8–10Type ShrubClimate Temperate
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — an evergreen shrub with a height and spread of 6-30 feet; regular pruning maintains size and shape

Culture

Sun
Full, Half
Water
Medium
USDA zones
8–10

Shape & size

Classification

Type
Shrub
Family
Oleaceae
Climate
Temperate

See full data, regional cultivation notes, and design tools. Build a client presentation around this plant.

Start your 14-day trial

Photos (94)

Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — an evergreen shrub with a height and spread of 6-30 feet; regular pruning maintains size and shape, image 85
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — Osmanthus fragrans thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers well-drained soil; when designing with this plant
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — It is tolerant of drought once established
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — the Sweet Olive possesses a naturally rounded shape that can be enhanced with pruning; when designing with this plant
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — it provides an extended period of enjoyment.<br><br>Hardy in USDA zones 7 to 9
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — shrub for full or half; when designing with this plant, image 63
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — making it versatile for use as a specimen plant; regular pruning maintains size and shape, image 73
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — Blooming intermittently throughout the year with peaks in early spring and fall; regular pruning maintains size, image 76
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — making it versatile for use as a specimen plant; regular pruning maintains size and shape, image 52
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — scientifically known as Osmanthus fragrans; regular pruning maintains size and shape, image 49
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — they boast an intoxicating scent which is often likened to peaches; when designing with this plant
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — Osmanthus fragrans thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers well-drained soil; when designing with this, image 57
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — white flowers in the garden
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — shrub with white blooms
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — making it versatile for use as a specimen plant; regular pruning maintains size and shape
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — making it versatile for use as a specimen plant
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — It is tolerant of drought once established; regular pruning maintains size and shape
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — It is tolerant of drought once established; regular pruning maintains size and shape, image 79
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — Ideal as a hedge or specimen plant; or part of a mixed border
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — an evergreen shrub with a height and spread of 6-30 feet; regular pruning maintains size and shape, image 43
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — making it a relatively low-maintenance addition that offers ample rewards; or part of a mixed border
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — Thriving in USDA zones 7-9, they prefer full to partial sun and well-drained soil; when designing with this plant, image 45
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — When designing with this plant, image 39
Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans) — the Sweet Olive possesses a naturally rounded shape that can be enhanced with pruning; when designing with this, image 51
Photographs by 14 contributors

Related plants

Angelwing Jasmine (Jasminum Laurifolium Nitidum) — scientifically known as Jasminum laurifolium nitidum

Vine

Angelwing Jasmine

Jasminum Laurifolium Nitidum

FullUSDA 10–10
Arabian Jasmine (Jasminum sambac) — This versatile plant thrives best in full to partial sun and well-drained soil

Broadleaf Evergreen

Arabian Jasmine

Jasminum sambac

FullUSDA 8–10
Arizona Or Velvet Ash (Fraxinus Velutina) — Ideal for accent or shade

Tree

Arizona Or Velvet Ash

Fraxinus Velutina

FullUSDA 7–10
Black Ash (Fraxinus Nigra) — which makes it a compelling choice for riparian buffers or rain gardens

Tree

Black Ash

Fraxinus Nigra

FullUSDA 3–8
Blue Ash (Fraxinus Quadrangulata) — is a North American native and a distinctive member of the Oleaceae family

Tree

Blue Ash

Fraxinus Quadrangulata

FullUSDA 4–7
Border Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia) — These bell-shaped blossoms

Shrub

Border Forsythia

Forsythia x intermedia

FullUSDA 4–10