Herb latin name: Osmanthus delavayi


Synonyms: Siphonosmanthus delavayi


Family: Oleaceae (Olive Family)



Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
3.5 m
(11 feet)

Flowering:
April


Scent:
Scented
Shrub

Habitat of Osmanthus delavayi:

Dry hillsides, in scrub and forest, often on limestone. Montane regions, ravines, thickets and mixed woods at elevations of 2100 - 3400 metres.

Other uses of the herb:

Can be grown as a tall hedge, it is quite amenable to trimming.

Propagation of Osmanthus delavayi:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a coldframe. Stored seed probably germinates best if it is given 3 months warm then 3 months cold stratification before sowing. The seed usually takes 6 - 18 months to germinate, it should be pricked out into individual pots when it is large enough to handle. Grow the plants on for their first winter in the greenhouse and plant them out in early summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood taken at the end of July, in a frame with bottom heat. Cuttings of almost ripe wood, 7 - 12cm with a heel, September/October in a cold frame. A good percentage. Plant out in the spring 18 months later. Layering in spring or autumn. Partially sever the layer leads in the following late summer and plant out in the autumn. High percentage.

Cultivation of the herb:

Dry hillsides, in scrub and forest, often on limestone. Montane regions, ravines, thickets and mixed woods at elevations of 2100 - 3400 metres.

Medicinal use of Osmanthus delavayi:

None known

Known hazards of Osmanthus delavayi:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.