Is Osmanthus an Evergreen or Deciduous Plant? Explained Clearly in One Article

Every autumn, the fragrance of osmanthus flowers fills the air. It is one of China's ten traditional famous flowers, an excellent garden tree species that combines greening, beautification and fragrance, and is both ornamental and practical. So, is osmanthus an evergreen or deciduous plant?

1. Is Osmanthus an Evergreen or Deciduous Plant?

Osmanthus is an evergreen plant, belonging to the Oleaceae family as an evergreen shrub or small tree, but it also sheds leaves, only it does not lose all its leaves in winter.

2. What Are the Cultivation Techniques for Osmanthus?

1. Planting Method

It should be planted in spring or autumn, and planting on cloudy or rainy days is best. Choose a ventilated, well-drained and warm location; either a spot with ample sunlight or a semi-shaded environment will do. When transplanting, a soil ball must be formed to ensure the survival rate. The planting soil should be acidic, and alkaline soil should be avoided. For potted osmanthus, the potting soil ratio is 2 parts leaf mold, 3 parts garden soil, 3 parts sandy soil and 2 parts decomposed cake fertilizer; mix them evenly, then pot or repot, which can be done before spring sprouting.

2. Light and Temperature

In areas south of the Yellow River basin, it can be cultivated outdoors and overwinter there. Potted plants should be moved indoors in winter and placed in a sunny spot so they receive full direct sunlight, with the room temperature kept above 5°C but not exceeding 10°C. After sprouting in April of the following year, move them outdoors, first placing them in a wind-sheltered, sunny spot for care, and after stable growth gradually move them to a ventilated, sunny or semi-shaded environment, then carry out normal management. Insufficient light during the growing period affects flower bud differentiation.

3. Watering and Fertilizing

Before field planting, plant ash and organic fertilizer should first be mixed into the tree pit, and after planting, water thoroughly once. Before new shoots emerge, keep the soil moist, and do not water with fertilizer solution. Generally, apply nitrogen fertilizer once in spring and phosphorus and potassium fertilizer once in summer to make the flowers abundant and the leaves lush, and apply overwintering organic fertilizer once before winter, mainly decomposed cake fertilizer and barnyard manure. Avoid concentrated fertilizer, especially avoid human feces and urine. Potted osmanthus in the north should be moved into a low-temperature greenhouse in winter, and indoors attention should be paid to ventilation and light transmission, with less watering. After being moved out in April, the water amount can be appropriately increased, and during the peak growing season a suitable amount of diluted fertilizer water can be applied, while in the flowering season the fertilizer water can be slightly more concentrated.

4. Shaping and Pruning

It depends on the tree; according to the tree's form, set the main framework well, and remove other root suckers, overly dense branches, leggy branches, crossing branches and diseased or weak branches to allow ventilation and light transmission. For trees that are strong on top and weak below, the upper branches can be cut back by 1/3 to make the overall tree vigor strong, and at the same time apply wound healing and antiseptic film to the pruning cuts to protect the wounds.

Osmanthus not only has a graceful tree shape but also a refreshing fragrance, so you might as well plant one or two in your own yard.