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Sweet Olive in Philadelphia region?

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Posted by silverneedle SE PA (My Page) on
Tue, Aug 11, 09 at 16:09

I would like to plant a sweet olive (osmanthus fragrans) for my mother since it's her favourite, but we are in the surburbs of Philadelphia and I am told that these shrubs can be difficult in zone 7.

Has any one had any success with them in SE PA? Should I wait until spring to give them the best chance of surviving the winter?

Many thanks!

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RE: Sweet Olive in Philadelphia region?

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I have seen one plant at the National Arboretum in Washington DC grown outside. It was not much to look at & was in a fairly sheltered location.

I would say that you would need an optimal highly sheltered location in Philadelphia. In exceptionally cold weather (under 10 Fahrenheit), you might have to rig a temporary shelter, with twinkle lights.

Hope that this helps!

Dan

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RE: Sweet Olive in Philadelphia region?

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Silverneedle, if you search in GardenWeb for Osmanthus heterophyllus in all the forums, especially Shrubs and Fragrant Plants, you will find a good bit of discussion and information about which Osmanthus varieties will do well in your area. Osmanthus fragrans, as Dan pointed out, needs an exceptional spot to survive. The others will do very well in our zone 6b and 7 winters.

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