How to Grow Sweet Osmanthus - Plant Care & Tips

By NorwichGardener Team   /   2025

Sweet osmanthus is a plant that belongs to the olive family. It is native to Asia and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. The plant is known for its sweet-smelling flowers, which are used to make tea, perfume, and other products.

How to Grow Sweet Osmanthus - Plant Care & Tips

Alternative name

  • Sweet olive
  • Fragrant olive
  • Tea olive
  • False Holly
  • wintersweet

Common Knowledge

  • Osmanthus fragrans, or sweet osmanthus, is a flowering plant native to Asia.
  • The plant is part of the Oleaceae family, which includes olive trees.
  • Sweet osmanthus is known for its sweet-smelling flowers, which bloom in the fall.
  • The flowers are used to make Osmanthus tea, a popular beverage in China.
  • The plant is also used in traditional Chinese medicine.
  • Sweet osmanthus is considered an invasive species in some parts of the world.
  • The plant can be toxic to pets if ingested.
  • Sweet osmanthus should be planted in well-drained soil in a sunny location.
  • The plant is relatively drought-tolerant once established.
  • Pruning is generally not necessary, but dead or damaged branches can be removed as needed.

Related plant:
Sweet Almond Bush

Planting Process

  1. For sweet osmanthus, first step is to find a good location. It is best to choose an area that gets full sun to partial shade.
  2. Next, prepare the soil by adding organic matter such as compost or manure.
  3. Once the soil is ready, you can plant the sweet osmanthus.
  4. Water the plant regularly, especially during summer months.
  5. Apply fertilizer during the growing season.
  6. Prune the plant as needed to keep it in shape.
  7. Enjoy the sweet osmanthus flowers in fall!
  8. If you want to harvest the fruits, wait until they turn red in color.
  9. Store the fruits in a cool, dry place.
  10. Enjoy your sweet osmanthus fruits all year long!

Related plant:
Sweet Pea Shrub

The Soil

About soil condition, osmanthus is not too fussy and grows well in a variety of soils as long as it is well-drained. Loamy soils with plenty of organic matter are ideal, but it will also tolerate sandy soils. It is not drought tolerant, however, and will not do well in sites that are too dry or that have poorly drained soils.

About light

Not too different with other flowering plants, osmanthus blossoms need sun to produce nectar. The sun provides the energy for the plant to create food for itself and for the pollinating insects that visit the flowers. Bees and butterflies are especially attracted to the sweet nectar of the osmanthus.

Good Temperature

The temperature condition that is best for sweet osmanthus is between 68 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. The plant will do best if the temperature is not allowed to go below 68 degrees for extended periods of time. If the temperature does drop below 68 degrees, the leaves of the plant will start to turn yellow and fall off.

Ideal Humidity

Ideal humidity condition for this plant is 50-60%. The plant should be watered when the top inch of potting mix is dry. Allow the plant to drain thoroughly before placing it back in its saucer. Water with tepid water to avoid leaf drop.

Fertilizing

About fertilizer, this plant is not fussy. A good, all-purpose fertilizer will work just fine. Just be sure to fertilize regularly during the growing season, from spring through summer. As for the roots, they're tough and can handle a bit of neglect. Just be sure not to overwater and you should be fine.

Plant Pruning

Pruning is an important part of keeping your sweet osmanthus plant healthy and vigorous. Sweet osmanthus is a fast-growing plant, and pruning helps to control its size and shape. Pruning also encourages new growth and flowers. The best time to prune sweet osmanthus is in late winter or early spring, just before new growth begins.

The Propagation

Propagation of sweet osmanthus is best done through rooting of semi-ripe cuttings taken in late summer or early fall. The cuttings should be taken from new growth and should be about 6 inches long. Cuttings should be made just below a node and the bottom leaves should be removed. The cutting should then be placed in a rooting media such as perlite or vermiculite. The rooting media should be kept moist but not wet and the cutting should be placed in a humid environment such as a greenhouse. Rooting will usually occur within 6-8 weeks.

Growth Rate

Usually, the plant growth rate is around 6 to 12 inches each year. However, some species have been known to grow up to 24 inches in a year. Osmanthus fragrans, the most common sweet osmanthus species, typically reaches a height of 15 feet and a width of 10 feet.

Basic Problems

Common problems for this kind of plant are powdery mildew, rust, and leaf spot. These can be controlled with fungicides. However, if the problem is severe, you may need to prune the plant to improve air circulation.

List to Know

  • Make sure to choose a planting location that has well-drained, fertile soil and full sun to partial shade.
  • Prepare the planting bed by loosening the soil and adding organic matter such as compost or well-rotted manure.
  • Dig a hole that is twice the width and depth of the sweet osmanthus plant's root ball.
  • Place the plant in the hole and backfill with soil, tamping down gently as you go.
  • Water the plant thoroughly after planting.
  • Apply a 2-inch layer of mulch around the base of the plant, keeping it several inches away from the trunk.
  • Water the plant regularly, especially during the first growing season.
  • Fertilize the plant in early spring and mid-summer with a balanced fertilizer.
  • Prune the plant as needed to shape and control growth.
  • Enjoy the sweet-sm

Substitution

  • Osmanthusamericanus commonly called devilwood or false Holly, is a small to medium-sized fragrant flowering tree in the family Oleaceae.
  • Osmanthus fragrans, commonly known as sweet osmanthus, sweet olive, tea olive, or fragrant olive, is a species native to Asia.
  • Osmanthus heterophyllus, commonly called holly osmanthus or false holly, is a dense, evergreen shrub with glossy, spiny, ovate to lance-shaped, toothed, dark green leaves, 6 to 8 cm.
  • Osmanthus are native to eastern and southeastern Asia, such as China and Vietnam.
  • Osmanthus means "sweet osmanthus".
  • Osmanthus is a genus of around 30 species of evergreen trees and shrubs native to Asia .
  • Osmanthus tea is made from the dried pet

Source:
Osmanthus fragrans Sweet Osmanthus - University of Florida
Osmanthus fragrans (Sweet Osmanthus, fragrant Tea olive)
Osmanthus fragrans ‘Cai Ye Gui’, A Variegated Cultivar

Richelle Author Photo
Reviewed & Published by Richelle
Submitted by our contributor
Shrubs Category