Osmanthus, Fragrant Tea Olive, Sweet Olive 'Fudingzhu'

It is now blooming in my zone 7b garden. Lovely fragrant pale yellow blooms!

Very nice fruity scent. Yet not fully hardy for me. Top growth killed at -11C (12F) in USDA zone 7b even with cold protection. Started r...Read Moreegrowth but flowering is put off. Maybe would do better when more mature. Osmanthus Fortunei is more cold hardy.

Update 10 November 2018.

Fudingzhu did not put much growth but did put forth quite a few apricot smelling flowers which I am enjoying now. By the way, more flowers than the much bigger straight Fragrans. Fortunei in its 2nd season is neither putting much growth nor flowers but as written earlier had not winter damage at -11C/ 12F.

I got mine from Nursery Caroliniana in late fall 2012 and within one month it was sending out flower buds. I don't find the fragrance an...Read Morey stronger than the regular osmanthus but it is a new plant and maybe not quite at home yet in my garden.

UPDATE Nov 2016: My shrub has declined slightly whereas my regular tea olive get better and better with time. I have changed my rating to NEUTRA as I think this cultivar is overrated.

I think I am just on the border (6b) re hardiness of this plant, but it survived the first winter here (albeit with only a third of the l...Read Moreeaves by spring) and is growing again . . . it did flower profusely in the fall and might have done so longer if the weather were not so harsh. Maybe an antidessicant applied in the fall (e.g., Wilt-Prufe) would help preserve the leaves and decrease stresses due to sun, wind, and bitter cold on this tender evergreen.