5

What is this plant with little yellow flowers? The smell is immaculate, so strong, smelt from far away, yet soft and perfume like at the same time.

Plant grows maybe 2m tall.

How can I grow cuttings? Or will it grow seeds I can harvest more easily after the flowering season?

enter image description here enter image description here enter image description here enter image description here enter image description here

4 Answers 4

2

It's Osmanthus as already said in one of the other answers, specifically, Osmanthus fragrans, maybe the variety 'Conger' - there's a clear image of the flowers here https://m.dhgate.com/product/wholesale-tea-sweet-olive-osmanthus-fragrans/390370702.html#pd-019

Propagation can be done by collecting ripe seed, but they can take 6-18 months to germinate, so it's more usual to take semi ripe cuttings during early summer and use bottom heat to get them rooting, or almost ripe cuttings with a heel in autumn, placed in a cold frame. General information and propagation info here https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Osmanthus+fragrans

1
  • Thanks. You gave the propagation info so you get the green tick. Much appreciated
    – Johan88
    Commented Jan 7, 2019 at 2:20
5

It looks like some type of Osmanthus to me. There are quite a few different species: O. heterophyllus, O. yunnanensis, O. fragrans (sweet olive), and many, many more! I think Home Depot's picture of their plant has the most resemblance to your photos:

"Sweet Tea Olive"

Osmanthus can be gigantic trees or small shrubs, or can be trimmed to become hedges. Some bloom in the fall, and some in spring.

The reason I think of Osmanthus and not Pittosporum is the way the little flowers look, hiding amongst the leaves, and also the way you describe the fragrance, "... immaculate, so strong, smelt from far away, yet soft and perfume like at the same time."

The fact that you use the word "immaculate" sounds more like O. than Pittosporum which is so overpoweringly fragrant it can be cloying and unpleasant at close range. (my opinion, sorry)

Osmanthus does have a heavenly fragrance that for some reason can be very hard to pinpoint where it's coming from. Maybe because the flowers are so nondescript and "shy", you don't suspect (or even notice) them right away.

1
  • Thanks for the info ! Hopefully I can get some Spring Bloomers and some Autumn Bloomers to enjoy this great fragrance year round.
    – Johan88
    Commented Jan 7, 2019 at 6:32
3

This is a Fragrant Tea Olive. I got one from amazon couple months ago and it has bloomed couple times already in my house. The Fragrant is exactly how you described it

Here is the link...Good Luck! Fragrant Tea Olive on Amazon

1

Ok this one is tough; my choice is Pittosporum omeiense, native to China, fragrant, and the leaves look similar. My difficulty here is in finding references - the ITIS database does not recognize the species name even though it is pretty well scattered about over the Internet, and I don't have time to rake through all the possibilities. Hortus Third does not list it under that name, although it might be there under a synonym, reclassified into a different genus.

3
  • Colin Beckingham to the rescue again ! Thanks. I'll wait and see any other suggestions that pop up for this one. Just check P. Omeiense on Google image. Flowers seem to be 5 petalled and bell shaped whereas my flowers today look like they're 4 petalled and not bell shaped.
    – Johan88
    Commented Jan 6, 2019 at 14:16
  • See if you can find some fruits or seed capsules, that would help much. And would resolve the propagation issue. Commented Jan 6, 2019 at 14:28
  • Didn't notice any today. Will look next time I pass by but might not be for a while.
    – Johan88
    Commented Jan 6, 2019 at 15:17

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.