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Orange Flowering Fragrant Tea Olive

$9995 $17995
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Your Plants are Guaranteed to Grow

Your plants are guaranteed to arrive happy & healthy with our 1 Year Warranty. Your order will arrive healthy and stay healthy while they adapt to your climate. If your tree arrives damaged or dies within 30 days, we'll replace it for free. If it dies after 30 days, but before 1 year, we will replace it for just 50% of the current price.

Free Shipping on All Orders

Relax... we've got you covered with free shipping on every order! We ship out so many huge plants, we've negotiated a low rate with our carriers... and we pass those savings on to you! Your plants will ship out the next business day... expertly packed so that your plants will arrive happy and healthy!

Is Now a Good Time to Plant?

Yes! Fall is one of the best times to plant!

Landscaping experts often recommend planting in fall instead of waiting until spring. Here’s why:

  • Cooler weather puts less stress on newly planted trees and shrubs.
  • Fall soil is still warm, which helps roots grow and get established.
  • Cooler temperatures mean less water is lost through the leaves, making it easier for plants to stay hydrated.
  • Even after top growth slows for winter, roots continue developing below ground.
  • Fall weather often brings more rain and less heat, making new plants easier to care for.
  • By spring, your plants already have a head start. Their established roots can support strong new leaves, branches, and flowers.
  • Trees planted in spring must establish their roots while also dealing with rising temperatures and summer heat.

Plant this fall, and your trees can spend the cooler months getting settled instead of waiting until spring to get started!

Planting your Orange Flowering Fragrant Tea Olive

Planting Instructions for Orange Flowering Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans)

  1. Site Selection and Soil Preparation:
    Orange Flowering Tea Olive thrives in full sun to partial shade, making sure it gets at least 4-6 hours of sunlight per day for the best blooming. It prefers well-draining, slightly acidic soil (pH 5.5-6.5), though it can adapt to a range of soil types. If your soil is heavy clay or poorly draining, amend it with compost or sand to improve drainage.

  2. Planting:
    Dig a hole that is twice as wide and slightly shallower than the root ball of the plant. Create a small mound in the center of the hole to rest the root ball on, and make sure the top of the root ball sits just above the soil line to prevent the plant from sitting in water as the soil settles. Backfill with soil, firming it gently around the roots. Water deeply after planting to help the roots establish.

  3. Mulching:
    Spread a 2-3 inch layer of mulch around the base of the plant, keeping it a few inches away from the trunk to avoid rot. Mulch helps retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and reduce weeds.

Care Instructions

  1. Watering:
    During the first year, water your Tea Olive deeply once a week, allowing the soil to dry slightly between waterings. Once established, it is drought-tolerant but will perform best with regular watering, especially during dry spells. Avoid overwatering, as soggy soil can lead to root rot.

  2. Fertilization:
    Fertilize in early spring and again in mid-summer with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer (10-10-10 or similar). Avoid over-fertilizing, as this can lead to excessive foliage growth at the expense of flowers. For optimal blooming, you can also use a fertilizer that is slightly higher in phosphorus to promote more flower production.

  3. Monitoring for Issues:
    Keep an eye out for common issues such as aphids, scale, or spider mites, particularly in hot, dry conditions. These can usually be managed with organic insecticidal soap or neem oil. Tea Olives are generally pest-resistant and disease-free, but providing good air circulation around the plant helps prevent fungal issues.

Maintenance and Long-Term Care

  1. Pruning:
    Prune your Orange Flowering Tea Olive in late winter or early spring to maintain its shape and encourage new growth. Light pruning throughout the year helps maintain a dense, bushy habit, but avoid heavy pruning, as it may reduce flowering for the season. Remove any dead, damaged, or crossing branches to improve airflow and maintain the plant’s health.

  2. Pest and Disease Control:
    Tea Olives are largely pest-resistant, but occasionally, they may face issues with scale or aphids. Regularly check for pests and, if needed, treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Disease is rare, but root rot can occur if the soil is too wet, so ensure good drainage.

  3. Seasonal Tasks:
    In colder climates (zones 8-11 are ideal), Orange Flowering Tea Olive may need protection during harsh winters. Mulch heavily around the base before the first frost and consider covering the plant with burlap or frost cloth if extended cold periods are expected. In milder climates, it blooms sporadically year-round, with peak flowering in the fall.

Additional Tips for Growing Orange Flowering Tea Olive

  1. Scent and Placement:
    The Orange Flowering Tea Olive is known for its highly fragrant blooms, which smell similar to apricots or peaches. To enjoy its delightful fragrance, plant it near patios, walkways, or entryways where you can appreciate its scent. It’s also a great choice for a hedge or privacy screen in areas where its scent can drift.

  2. Cold Hardiness:
    While Orange Flowering Tea Olives are hardy in USDA zones 8-11, they may suffer damage in temperatures below 15°F (-9°C). In colder regions, consider planting them in a more protected spot, such as against a south-facing wall, which provides warmth and shelter from cold winds.

  3. Encouraging More Blooms:
    Tea Olives bloom best when they receive consistent care. Avoid heavy pruning, as this can reduce blooming. A top dressing of compost in early spring can help boost flower production, as will avoiding excess nitrogen fertilizers that promote leaf growth over blooms.

  4. Companion Planting:
    Tea Olives pair well with other fragrant plants like gardenias, lavender, or jasmine to create a fragrant garden. Their glossy green leaves also contrast nicely with plants that have variegated or silver foliage, making them an attractive addition to mixed borders.

  5. Container Growth:
    If you’re growing Orange Flowering Tea Olive in a container, choose a pot that is at least 18-24 inches wide and deep. Ensure it has excellent drainage to prevent water from pooling at the roots. Container plants may need more frequent watering than those planted in the ground, especially in hot weather.

  6. Soil Moisture and Mulch:
    While Tea Olives are drought-tolerant once established, keeping the soil evenly moist—especially during dry periods—will encourage better growth and more blooms. Mulching helps retain moisture and keep roots cool, especially in warmer climates.
What Customers say about the Orange Flowering Fragrant Tea Olive:

The Orange Flowering Fragrant Tea Olive thrives in Zones 5-9

Growing Zones for the Orange Flowering Fragrant Tea Olive

If you live in the green area above, we recommend the Orange Flowering Fragrant Tea Olive.

Your Growing Zone
Recommended Zones 5-9
Mature Height 8-10 ft.
Mature Width 6-8 ft.
Cannot Ship To AZ, OR
Sunlight Full to Partial Sun
Botanical Name Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus

Plants that Make a Difference

For 20+ years, our team has shipped healthy, established plants to gardeners like you- all across the country. Every plant is selected and cared for by our plant experts before it ships to your door.

  • 20+ Years Experience

  • Superior Quality

  • Free Shipping on All Orders

  • Guaranteed to Grow

Bloom close-up of the bright orange Tea Olive flowers against deep green leaves.

Beware- not all Orange Flowering Fragrant Tea Olives are the same.

Be sure to get superior flowering shrubs, grown by experts.

Better Roots Make Stronger Plants: Some nurseries send you "bare root" flowering shrubs to save on shipping. Even worse, others have started digging them right out of the ground before shipping. This causes major transplant shock and long-term damage. We send you Orange Flowering Fragrant Tea Olives in soil-filled containers- ensuring a well-developed root system that will explode with growth and blooms!

Healthy Plants: We've seen other nurseries grow tall flowering shrubs in tiny pots to save on shipping. This leads to a "root bound" shrub, where the roots have outgrown their pot- they cannot absorb water and nutrients. They quickly dry out during shipment, leading to an unhealthy shrub.

Tea Olive branches covered in fragrant orange blossoms with glossy green leaves.

The Orange Flowering Tea Olive is all about fragrance- tiny orange blooms with a sweet scent you can enjoy from a distance.

  • Sweet, fruity fragrance often compared to ripe apricots or peaches
  • Bright orange flowers mainly in fall, sometimes again in spring
  • Dense evergreen hedge or screen: about 8-10 ft. tall and 6-8 ft. wide
  • Drought tolerant once established, in full sun to partial shade

Not all plants are created equal

The Difference Is in the Roots

Every plant we ship has grown in a nursery container with its roots protected, so it arrives healthy, established and ready to thrive in your yard.

A full, branched Nationwide Plants tree in a nursery pot next to a thin bare-root tree with exposed roots Ours: container grown Theirs: bare root
Nationwide Plants Other Nurseries
How it's grown Grown in a nursery container, roots protected the whole time Pulled or dug from the field, tearing fragile roots
How it arrives Arrives in its pot with soil intact Arrives bare root, exposed and drying out
Before shipping Growing naturally until it ships Held dormant in a cooler, then shocked by a hot shipping box
Root health Strong, well-developed roots with room to grow Crammed into a small pot until it's root bound
Height Measured from the top of the soil Often includes the pot and roots
After planting Settles in quickly with less transplant shock Arrives stressed and can take years to recover, if it does

The height you see is the height you plant.

We measure every plant from the top of the soil, not the bottom of the pot. Many nurseries include the pot and roots, so a "5–6 ft." tree from them might stand only 4 ft. tall once it's planted.

Comparisons reflect common practices across the online plant industry, not any single company.

Full Tea Olive shrub with abundant orange flowers and dark green foliage.

Honest Measurements: Some nurseries measure plants including the pot and roots, so the plant you receive is much smaller than you expected. We measure all of our plants from the soil line, so the height you see is what you can expect after planting.

From our nursery to your door

How We Ship Your Plants

Every order is hand-selected, watered and carefully packed so it arrives healthy and ready to plant. Here's what happens after you place your order.

  1. Hand-Picked for You

    Our team selects the best plant available for your order. For privacy trees, that's the tallest and fullest. For fruit trees, it's the best branched.

    Why it matters: Many online nurseries ship whatever is next in the row.

  2. A Deep Drink Before the Trip

    Every plant gets a thorough watering right before it's packed, so it starts the journey fully hydrated.

  3. Roots Sealed In

    We wrap the pot and roots in plastic to lock in moisture, so your plant has water to drink all the way to your door.

    Why it matters: Bare-root plants are often shipped with their roots exposed and drying out.

  4. Braced for the Ride

    Cardboard inserts are secured inside every box to hold your plant in place, so it won't slide, tip or get damaged in transit.

  5. Shipped Only by FedEx

    We ship your trees exclusively with FedEx. We've found they deliver the fastest and handle live plants the most gently.

And if anything goes wrong, every plant is backed by our 1 Year Warranty.

Healthy Roots Make a Huge Difference

  • Never buy bare-root plants. These trees are starved of nutrients, and have a low survival rate.
  • Beware of nurseries cut corners by growing in small pots. These "rootbound" plants are weak, struggle to absorb nutrients, and die quickly after planting.
  • Some nurseries try to sell oversized plants, but chop off vital roots so they can cram the rootball into a narrow box to save on shipping!

You Want Orange Flowering Fragrant Tea Olives Grown by Experts

Some nurseries ship small, weak shrubs grown in tiny pots to save money. These "root bound" plants struggle after planting and take longer to fill in and bloom well.

Nationwide Plants only sends you strong Orange Flowering Fragrant Tea Olives, selected and cared for by our plant experts, with healthy, developed root systems. That means they settle in quickly and start filling your yard with fragrance sooner.

Read more about the Orange Flowering Fragrant Tea Olive

Orange Flowering Tea Olive Shrub

Fragrant, Citrus-Scented Blooms with Evergreen Beauty – Perfect for Gardens, Hedges, and Containers

The Orange Flowering Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus) is a stunning evergreen shrub prized for its abundant, sweetly fragrant orange blooms. Known for its incredible fragrance, which is often compared to ripe apricots or fresh peaches, this tea olive adds a delightful aroma to any garden or outdoor space. With its dark green foliage and long-lasting blooms, this plant is an excellent choice for hedges, garden borders, or as a stand-alone focal point. Its versatile growth habit and low-maintenance nature make it perfect for both experienced gardeners and beginners alike.

Delightful Fragrance and Year-Round Appeal

The Orange Flowering Tea Olive produces clusters of small, orange, tubular flowers that bloom in the fall and occasionally throughout the year. These blooms, while small, pack an incredible punch of fragrance, filling your garden with a delightful citrus scent that can be enjoyed from a distance. This shrub is evergreen, with dense, glossy green leaves that provide year-round beauty, even when it’s not in bloom. Its compact, bushy growth habit makes it ideal for creating fragrant hedges, screens, or garden accents.

Why Choose the Orange Flowering Tea Olive?

  • Heavenly Fragrance: This tea olive is famous for its sweet, citrus-like fragrance, which fills the air with the scent of apricots or peaches. Its aromatic flowers are a sensory delight in any garden.
  • Evergreen Beauty: With its dense, glossy, deep green leaves, the Orange Flowering Tea Olive provides year-round structure and color to your garden, even when not in bloom.
  • Long Blooming Season: This plant offers a long blooming season, producing fragrant orange flowers in fall and sporadically throughout the year, ensuring a steady source of fragrance and beauty.
  • Versatile & Low Maintenance: Easy to care for and adaptable, this tea olive thrives in a variety of garden settings. It’s perfect for hedges, garden borders, or growing in containers, where it can be enjoyed up close.
  • Drought Tolerant & Deer Resistant: Once established, the Orange Flowering Tea Olive is drought-tolerant and deer-resistant, making it a hardy, reliable choice for a low-maintenance garden.

Ideal Placement and Uses

  • Hedges & Screens: The dense, evergreen foliage and fragrant blooms make the Orange Flowering Tea Olive an excellent choice for hedges or privacy screens. Plant in rows to create a natural, aromatic barrier that remains lush year-round.
  • Garden Borders & Focal Points: Use this shrub as a specimen plant in your garden or as part of a mixed border. Its glossy leaves and fragrant orange flowers will add interest and fragrance to any landscape.
  • Patios & Containers: The compact growth habit of the Orange Flowering Tea Olive makes it ideal for container planting. Place it near patios, porches, or walkways to enjoy its delightful fragrance up close.
  • Pollinator Gardens: The small, fragrant flowers of this shrub attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, making it a great addition to a wildlife-friendly garden.

Growing Tips

  • Light: The Orange Flowering Tea Olive thrives in full sun to partial shade. For the best flowering and growth, plant it in a spot that receives at least 4-6 hours of sunlight per day.
  • Watering: Water regularly during the first growing season to establish a strong root system. Once established, the plant is drought-tolerant but benefits from occasional watering during extended dry periods.
  • Soil: This tea olive prefers well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Adding organic matter, such as compost, will improve soil quality and drainage.
  • Fertilization: Feed with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring to encourage healthy growth and promote blooming.
  • Pruning: Prune lightly after the blooming season to shape the plant and remove any dead or damaged branches. Regular pruning helps maintain its compact form and encourages new growth.

Orange Fragrant Tea Olive – A Southern Favorite with Vibrant Blooms and Sweet Citrus Aroma

The Orange Fragrant Tea Olive Tree (Osmanthus fragrans ‘Aurantiacus’) is particularly admired in the southeastern United States, especially in Savannah, Georgia, where its rich, apricot-colored blooms fill the air with an intoxicating, fruity-citrus fragrance. Strolling through Savannah’s historic squares and gardens, visitors often catch the unmistakable scent of these stunning trees, which are commonly planted along garden paths, near courtyards, and beside historic homes. Their vibrant orange flowers bloom primarily in the fall, adding a warm pop of color to the lush, evergreen foliage. Also beloved in Charleston, South Carolina, and throughout the Deep South, the Orange Fragrant Tea Olive is a standout in traditional Southern landscapes, offering year-round greenery, low-maintenance care, and a uniquely rich, honeyed fragrance that makes any outdoor space feel inviting and elegant.

Why Buy from Nationwide Plants?

When you buy the Orange Flowering Tea Olive from Nationwide Plants, you’re investing in a high-quality, expertly grown plant. We guarantee:

  • Healthy, well-established shrubs that are ready to thrive in your garden.
  • Fast, secure shipping so your plant arrives in perfect condition.
  • Expert growing advice to help you enjoy the beauty and fragrance of your tea olive for years to come.

With its heavenly fragrance, evergreen foliage, and easy-care nature, the Orange Flowering Tea Olive is a perfect choice for adding beauty and aromatic charm to your garden, patio, or outdoor living spaces. Whether you’re looking to create a fragrant hedge, accent your garden, or enhance your patio with sweetly scented blooms, this versatile shrub will deliver.

Order your Orange Flowering Tea Olive today and enjoy its lush beauty and incredible fragrance all year long!

Frequently Asked Questions about the Orange Flowering Fragrant Tea Olive

What does an Orange Flowering Tea Olive smell like?

An Orange Flowering Tea Olive smells sweet and fruity, with a fragrance often compared to ripe apricots or peaches. The small orange flowers are powerfully scented and can be enjoyed from a distance, so plant it near patios, walkways, or entryways where you will notice the fragrance.

When does Orange Flowering Tea Olive bloom?

Orange Flowering Tea Olive blooms mainly in fall, with clusters of small, bright orange tubular flowers, and it may bloom again occasionally in spring. In mild climates it can flower sporadically through the year, but peak flowering and fragrance come in autumn.

How big does an Orange Flowering Tea Olive get?

An Orange Flowering Tea Olive grows about 8 to 10 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide, forming a dense, bushy evergreen shrub. Its size makes it a good fit for fragrant hedges, privacy screens, garden borders, and standalone focal points.

What zones can Orange Flowering Tea Olive grow in?

Orange Flowering Tea Olive is listed for USDA zones 5 through 9. In the colder parts of its range, protect it during harsh winters by mulching heavily around the base before the first frost and covering it with burlap or frost cloth during extended cold periods.

How much sun does an Orange Flowering Tea Olive need?

An Orange Flowering Tea Olive grows in full sun to partial shade and needs at least 4 to 6 hours of sunlight per day for the best blooming. Some afternoon shade is fine in hot climates, but too much shade will reduce flowering and fragrance.

Can Orange Flowering Tea Olive be used as a hedge?

Yes, Orange Flowering Tea Olive makes an excellent fragrant hedge or privacy screen thanks to its dense, glossy evergreen foliage and 6 to 8 foot spread. Light pruning through the year helps maintain a thick, bushy habit, while heavy cuts can reduce the fall bloom.

When should I prune an Orange Flowering Tea Olive?

Prune an Orange Flowering Tea Olive in late winter or early spring to shape it and encourage new growth. Remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches to improve airflow. Avoid heavy pruning, because it may reduce flowering for that season and remove developing buds.

How often should I water an Orange Flowering Tea Olive?

During its first year, water an Orange Flowering Tea Olive deeply once a week, letting the soil dry slightly between waterings. Once established it is drought tolerant but performs best with regular watering during dry spells. Avoid soggy soil, which can cause root rot.

How do I fertilize an Orange Flowering Tea Olive?

Fertilize an Orange Flowering Tea Olive in early spring and again in midsummer with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer such as 10-10-10. A formula slightly higher in phosphorus can encourage more flowers. Avoid over-fertilizing, which produces lush foliage at the expense of blooms.

Can Orange Flowering Tea Olive ship to Arizona or Oregon?

No, the Orange Flowering Tea Olive cannot be shipped to Arizona or Oregon due to state plant shipping restrictions. Customers in other states can order it in a 3 gallon size, ready to plant in well-drained, slightly acidic soil in a sunny spot.
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