Sunday, October 5, 2014

Osmanthus × fortunei



This is a hardy Osmanthus with bold holly-like foliage and very fragrant flowers at this time of year: it's blooming today. The flowers are not conspicuous, and in most years I become aware of them from the fragrance which carries so freely on the air. There are two of these in the garden; the larger one is about ten feet high and almost as wide.

The nothospecific taxon  Osmanthus × fortunei is used not for a clone or a species but rather for a group of hybrids.

I used to worry about these during bad winters, but they have endured without set back or significant damage the worst our local conditions have to offer.

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