Osmanthus serrulatus

Osmanthus serrulatus is a botanical species of osmanthus whose species name serrulatus means serrulate or finely toothed, due to the appearance of its leaves. It is an evergreen bush with slow but elegant, fragrant, and undemanding growth. It offers a cream-white flowering from early spring that spreads a beautiful jasmine fragrance with fruity notes. With its dense habit and glossy camellia-like foliage, it is attractive all year round. It is well-suited for creating informal hedges or large shrub borders. Its cultivation is within reach of beginner gardeners or those lacking inspiration. Plant them in ordinary, but well-drained soil in all regions!

Osmanthus serrulatus is hardy beyond -15°C, native to western China, discovered by Wilson in 1904. It belongs to the large and rich family of oleaceae, which includes, for example, the olive tree, lilac, and jasmine.

The growth of this bush is slow: at the age of 10, it does not exceed 1.50 m in all directions. Its growth is slightly faster if it benefits from a fairly warm climate. Ultimately, this species can reach about 3 m in all directions. This bush has an upright, rounded, and fairly dense habit. Its bark is grey or blackish and peels off in small flakes over time. The evergreen foliage consists of narrowly ovate, pointed, thick, and leathery leaves, often finely toothed at the edges, a little thorny, arranged opposite on the branches. They measure 6 to 11.5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. The young leaves are copper-coloured. The adult leaves are dark green and shiny on top, paler and dotted underneath. Flowering takes place in March-April, in the axils of the leaves, on the current year's shoots. It takes the form of small clusters of 4 to 9 cream-white flowers in the shape of a short tube. They measure 2 to 5 mm in diameter and exhale a complex fragrance reminiscent of jasmine, but lighter, softened by notes of apricot and peach. After pollination by insects, the flowers are followed by fruits that turn black-blue when ripe, measuring 0.5 to 1 cm long.

Osmanthus serrulatus adapts to a wide range of soils and is not very susceptible to diseases and pests. It can be used in shrub borders, as an evergreen, flowering, or defensive hedge, or in a grove. Plant it near a passageway to fully enjoy its fragrance. It can be associated with other shrubs with staggered flowering, such as Mexican orange blossom, Mahonia 'Charity', or Sarcococca confusa, in partial shade. Their fragrant blooms will succeed each other from autumn to early spring, bringing flowers and fragrance to the garden during a period when flowers are scarce.

Properties and uses:

Osmanthus flowers are sometimes mixed with tea or biscuits to flavour them. They are locally used in the production of a very ancient traditional Chinese liqueur served in jade cups. Perfumery also uses osmanthus absolute in the composition of high-end perfumes or cosmetics. Osmanthus absolute also has repellent properties against insects. The bark and roots are part of traditional Asian medecine and are used to treat various inflammatory conditions or chronic coughs.