Family Oleaceae.
Originating from Japan.
- Cream and green spiny leaves create a bold, architectural look.
- Small, fragrant white flowers appear in autumn.
- Slow-growing and compact, excellent for containers or borders.
The Five Colour Holly Olive in Your Garden
Compact, evergreen and scented, with a cheerful, bright palette of colours, this outstanding variety has a unique, refined look. Its ornate, glossy, and intricately shaped foliage transforms in colour throughout the season, offering far more interest than most evergreens. It adds fascinating detail where structural or potted evergreens are required, an upgrade on bay, box and holly,
Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’ is hardy in all except the coldest, exposed UK gardens. It grows slowly to around 1.5–2.5m tall and wide over 10–20 years. It makes the ideal chic potted specimen on Norfolk’s contemporary patios, or the perfect structural statement in Suffolk’s formal gardens.
Its vigorous spring flushes of new leaves emerge with strong red tints, turning pure white and green. The leaves mature to a dark green with golden flecks, forming a dense, solid mass of foliage. Their heavily scented, pollinator-attracting white flowers are often smelled before they are seen.
Hidden amongst the foliage, they fill the air with a sweet jasmine-like perfume.
Did you know?
People use the flowers of Osmanthus heterophyllus to infuse tea with a sweet, delicate flavour. In Japanese Hanakotoba (the language of flowers), it represents “truth” and “nobility”. The inescapable, honest strength of its fragrance is said to reveal the truth.
Growing Tips for the Variegated Evergreen Shrub, Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’
- Soil and sun: any soil except those that are heavy and prone to waterlogging in full sun for the most intense foliage colours, although it grows well in partial shade.
- Planting: at any time of year. Never plant a dry plant! Plunge or stand in water to thoroughly drench the rootball before planting. Do not add soil improvers.
- Watering: easy; tolerates spells of drought once established. Water young plants during their first summer season. In pots, drench thoroughly in summer and allow to dry out between watering, fertilise with general-purpose feed monthly.
- Pruning: Trim lightly in spring to maintain shape and remove any plain green shoots.
In Japanese, ‘Goshiki’ means ‘five colours’. Ancient historical records also mention the species Osmanthus heterophyllus. Frequently found planted around temples, it symbolises strength and purity, with its hard wood used to make spears. Compact, variegated evergreen shrubs are invaluable for creating structure, especially when used in numbers intermitently in any style of garden.
