Sweet Olive...?

[Jo Ann]

Hello,

Just a quick question, does sweet olive (Osmanthus fragrans) make a good bonsai? They seem to be selling them all over the place here cheaply. There scent is wonderful almost like apricots. Just wondering if anybody has had any experience with this shrub. To be honest I'm not all that crazy about how the plant looks like but its smell just attracted me too it. Is it worth trying too bonsai it or just keep it around for its fragrance?

Jo Ann

 

[sorce]

@TomB

No accent...so...

I like them both...

Probly would depend on the rest of the display far as which to use....

But they are both nice!

Sorce

 

[Cypress187]

What do you look for in bonsai / tree's. If you want to win the world championships it's maybe a challenge, if you just like the plant and grow it how you want it I would go for it (you can always put it in the ground and make a hedge of it).

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I have a Osmanthus fragrans 'Fudingzhu' and I love it. BUT for me it is a houseplant. Well, an outdoors for the summer, indoors for the winter houseplant. I've been doing bonsai for more than 4 decades, and have tried to make Osmanthus fragrans into a bonsai in the past and was never happy with the results. After 10 years with one I gave up on it as bonsai. Its now a houseplant. Keep one in a large pot near where you like to sit on your patio and enjoy the fragrance while you work on better trees for bonsai.

They tend to have a cluster of buds on the ends of a branch, then a long bare internode and another cluster of buds. This growth habit makes using them for bonsai difficult, at least beyond my skill set. You could try if you must, but when trying to train them for bonsai they tend to not flower, which defeats the purpose of having them around. They also have large leaves, that don't reduce much. Which also works against them as bonsai. But they are wonder patio or house plants. I won't give mine up.

If gardenias grow well for you, try them as bonsai, they take to bonsai much better than Osmanthus, and have wonderful fragrance too.

 

[sorce]

I dug this thread up to reply to @TomB cuz I got no accents to put in the Companion plant thread!

Great info Leo!

This thread is so 2007!

Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

I dug this thread up to reply to @TomB cuz I got no accents to put in the Companion plant thread!

Great info Leo!

This thread is so 2007!

Sorce

I do. I call them weeds. They just pop up on their own in the pots.

 

[Cypress187]

This thread is so 2007!Sorce

You Bumped it! I blame u