Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Tea Olive, Olive Holly, Holly-Leaf Osmanthus

Description:

To the untrained eye, this looks like a holly with its incredibly spiny lustrous leaves, but it's actually related to lilac and privet; flowers may not be showy but are extremely fragrant, blooming in fall; more adaptable than holly

Ornamental Features

False Holly's attractive spiny pointy leaves remain dark green in colour throughout the year on a plant with an oval habit of growth. It features subtle fragrant white flowers along the branches in mid fall.

Landscape Attributes

False Holly is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen perennial with a shapely oval form. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cut back to the ground in late winter before active growth resumes. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spiny

False Holly is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• Topiary

Planting & Growing

False Holly will grow to be about 12 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. Although it is technically a woody plant, this slow-growing plant can be expected to behave as a perennial in our climate if planted outdoors over the winter, usually regrowing from its base (crown) the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America.

This plant is not reliably hardy in our region, and certain restrictions may apply; contact the store for more information.