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token28001

Osmanthus fragrans have finally rooted

token28001
15 years ago

Thanks to a member here (george??), I have finally rooted a fragrant tea olive. I tried all summer using softwood cuttings. A few months back, I found a thread, which escapes me at the moment, saying that a heel cutting would be the best. In early August, I made 6 cuttings. One survived. I used no mist, but did use a small propagation chamber made of a wood box, a plastic storage bin on top, and a mixture of peat and sand. I used Rootone when I stuck the cuttings.

Thanks to whomever the original poster of that thread was. I had tried everything including air layering. I was worried that I would have to purchase the plants I want to fill in my back woods.

Comments (6)

  • calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
    15 years ago

    Yes it was george, I remember the post as I have also been unsuccessful with soft wood Osmanthus cuttings and will also next time use a cutting with a heel. I am happy for your success. Al

  • medontdo
    15 years ago

    YAY!!!! congradulations!! now your a daddy!! i will have to try that!! i am trying all sorts of things. i have never heard of that plant befor, but it does sound awesome!!
    ~Medo

  • token28001
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Oh. It's awesome. The fragrance is like peach, but better. It smells incredible in the spring when the entire plant is covered with tiny white blooms. I planted two in my backyard near the planned site of my new patio. I want more to put around the back yard. Here, it's evergreen. It does get some burn from really cold nights, but I cut those branches in the spring and it puts out 3 to 4 new ones to replace it. You can hard prune these too once established. In Zone 8/9, they'll reach 15 to 20'. Here, about 10-12'.

  • karyn1
    15 years ago

    I finally got one and agree that the scent is heavenly. I'm in 7a and am afraid to put mine inground. I think that 7b is the limit of it's hardiness. How fast do they grow? I will have to try rooting a few cuttings as I would really like more and don't mind keeping several in containers. I have plenty of room to winter them over in the unheated (just above freezing) greenhouse.

  • token28001
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Mine has grown just over a foot this year. I fertilized when I planted them early in the spring. I kept them watered all summer. I mulched heavily.
    I'm in 7b. There's one down the street from me that's maybe 12' tall. It's many years old. I assume it was here when the 20+ inches of snow fell on NC several years back. It looks great today. The only other experience I've had with them is in zone 8. I'm right on the border depending on which map you look at. Last year, we had plenty of below freezing nights, but only 3 hard frosts. Our last frost was in mid-April while Charlotte (45 minutes west) had a few more including one in early May.

    I'm hoping that by planting them near my brick house, with full sun until about 2pm, I can keep them from too much damage.

  • racerkat
    10 years ago

    I have one Osmanthus fragrans, and want to propagate it - they are fairly expensive here, and not seen very often. I will try cuttings with a heel, and take the advice of planting them in a pot or box with a plastic cover. Meanwhile, my little tree is struggling to survive, and I treated it with Daconil last summer on the advice of the local County Extension Office, which got rid of the browning on the leaves. Our soil is moist, and very like the area in South Louisiana where I first saw the tree and aside from needing propagation information, I am wondering if I am missing something with regard to soil conditions.