San Jose Fortune's Tea Olive. The species of this cultivar, Osmanthus fortunei, was introduced from China in 1856, by the famous plant explorer David Fortune, for whom it is named. It is purported to be a cross between Osmanthus fragrans and Osmanthus heterophyllus, and maintaining the cold hardiness of the latter. It has exquisite white fragrant flowers usually from early to mid October here in zone 8. It also makes one of the more handsome hedges that one could plant as it will grow in full sun to part shade. It will also lend itself to pruning or shearing to maintain its size at that required for the situation. 'San Jose' is a cultivar that has a slightly narrower leaf than the species with somewhat finer spines on the leaf margins and produces an abundance of fragrant, white flowers in the fall. We have never had problems with deer or rabbits on this plant. Give it good drainage and adequate moisture and then step back. Dr. Michael Dirr reports plants of the species on the campus of UGA to be 20'-25' high with an equal spread. 'San Jose' is reported to be slightly narrower in growth. Those sites that report only a hardiness of zones 8-9, know little of this selection. It is at least a zone 7 if not 6. During the mid 1980 freezes where temperature dipped well below 0°F, there was no damage on this species. So if one wants the white fragrant flowers of Osmanthus fragrans and are too far north for that species, then this is by far the best alternative.
Zones 7-9
