Tea Olive Shrub

Tea olive shrub

Although it's considered a slow to moderate grower – four to 12 inches a year – soil quality and pruning can greatly affect that. Depending on the species and cultivar, some types reach only six feet while others can tower up to 30 feet. Because of their natural growth habit, tea olives don't require pruning.

Does tea olive need sun or shade?

Most tea olives will grow in sun to medium shade. Some variegated cultivars, such as 'Goshiki', may show some leaf discoloration in full sun. Tea olives grow best in fertile, moist, well-drained, acidic soil. They are moderately drought tolerant once established.

How fast do tea olive shrubs grow?

Growth Rate This shrub grows at a medium rate, with height increases of 13–24" per year.

Do tea olive trees repel mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes cant stand the fragrant smell of this tree so it is considered a natural repellent. Tea Tree has been known to be effective for insect bites and allergies as well.

Can you keep a tea olive small?

If you want to control the growth of your shrub or shape your plant into a traditional conical shape, you can prune tea olive occasionally. Prune in early spring before new growth begins, cutting the branches back to right above a healthy leaf bud. Do not prune more than one-third of the shrub at a time.

How much space does a tea olive need?

Simply plant your Fragrant Tea Olives in rows, 4 to 5 feet apart to create a lush, thick privacy hedge.

Should tea olive trees be pruned?

Tea Olive do not require pruning, however respond well to it for shaping purposes; to form hedges or very attractive small trees. Light pruning of Tea Olive to remove a stray or damaged branch can be performed any time of year.

How hardy are tea olives?

The Tea Olive has a medium growth-rate and reaches a mature height of 15-20 feet with a spread of 10-15 feet. It is hardy to about 10 or 15 degrees (Zones 8-10). Plant in sun to partial shade.

Can tea olive trees survive a freeze?

If the cold sets in gradually and the air is dry, olive trees are hardy down to 10 to 17°F (-8 to -12°C). Some have been known to survive temperatures as low as 0 to 4°F (-15 to -18°C). When moisture and water join the game, all is lost.

Is tea olive a tree or shrub?

Fragrant tea olive is a broadleaf evergreen shrub with a dense habit in the Oleaceae (olive) family and native to Asia. This plant typically grows to a height of 10 to 20 feet and has extremely fragrant flowers that appear in the spring and sporadically in the fall.

Do tea olive trees attract bees?

Immature bees require pollen for their development and growth, and because tea olive blooms are avid pollen and nectar producers, they're appealing to bees. Tea olive blooms various times from late winter through early fall.

How do you take care of a tea olive plant?

Tea Olive can be grown in full sun or part shade. A minimum of 4 to 5 hours of direct sunlight is recommended for best foliage density and heaviest flowering. Start by digging your planting hole at least two to three times as wide and no deeper than the rootball of your Tea Olive plant. The wider the hole the better.

What does a tea olive smell like?

Tea Olive is also known as the False Holly, or Osmanthus, which means Fragrant Olive, and indeed it is. This is a full-bodied floral, with light apricot and peach notes that occur naturally in the flower's scent.

Can you drink tea olive leaves?

Olive Leaf Tea is an ideal alternative to Green Tea - because it is completely caffeine free! You can receive a boost of energy without the harmful effects caffeine. Olive leaf has also been shown to have double the antioxidant capacity of green tea and four times the content of Vitamin C.

How do you stop an olive tree from growing taller?

You can also keep down the height of the tree by pruning out the tallest branches. This is often important when you are pruning olive trees in containers. Use thinning cuts, not heading cuts, since the latter will stimulate new tall growth.

Are tea olive flowers edible?

Edible Uses The very fragrant flowers are used by the Chinese to impart a pleasant aroma to tea, wine and sweet dishes such as lotus seed soup, pastries and steamed pears[2, 46, 61, 183]. They are also added to herbal medicines in order to disguise obnoxious flavours[178]. The flowers have a scent of apricots[146].

Do olive trees require a lot of maintenance?

Most aptly suited to areas which are prone to high heat and plenty of sunshine, the olive tree should be planted outside and once established is fairly low maintenance.

What happens when you don't prune olive trees?

When olive trees are left unpruned they grow quite large which makes it difficult to harvest the fruit. Josh is tidying up a tree that has been left unpruned for a number of years. "This will encourage more fruit and also highlight its beautiful natural form." The aim is to have an even, balanced canopy.

Can I cut the top off my olive tree?

Pruning Olive Trees is easier than you might think. An olive tree can live quite happily with little pruning. A trim when needed, especially for the Lollipop or Pom Pom olive trees will keep them in good shape. To maintain tip-top health or if growing an olive tree for fruit however, pruning will be required.

When should you trim tea olives?

A: I'd do it after the spring flowering period. Tea olive, Osmanthus fragrans, blooms on twigs that grew in the last six to nine months. By pruning in spring, there's plenty of time for new growth that will perfume the neighborhood.