Osmanthus × burkwoodii (Burkwood Osmanthus)
Hardy Evergreen Shrub with Exquisite Fragrant Spring Flowers
Create a sensory garden experience with Osmanthus × burkwoodii, an exceptional evergreen shrub that delivers outstanding year-round structure combined with one of the most exquisite fragrances in the plant kingdom. This distinguished hybrid produces masses of small, tubular white flowers in spring that emit an intoxicating vanilla-like perfume, whilst its glossy dark green foliage provides permanent architectural interest and serves as an elegant backdrop for seasonal displays throughout the year.
Key Features
- Plant Type: Hardy evergreen shrub
- Height: 3m
- Spread: 3m
- Flowering Period: April to May
- Flower Size: Small tubular flowers in clusters
- Flower Colour: Creamy white with prominent yellow stamens
- Foliage: Glossy dark green with finely toothed margins
- Hardiness: Hardy in the UK down to temperatures of -15 to -10 degrees Celcius (RHS hardiness rating H5)
- Growth Habit: Dense, rounded, slow-growing
Exceptional Fragrant Flowers
The crowning glory of Osmanthus × burkwoodii lies in its remarkable spring flowering display. Small clusters of tubular white flowers with four lobes appear in spring, emitting a perfume reminiscent of vanilla that can perfume an entire garden area. The intensely fragrant blooms create clouds of scent that drift through the garden, making this shrub invaluable for sensory gardens and areas where fragrance can be fully appreciated. The small, creamy white, 4-lobed flowers cover the plant generously, creating a spectacular display against the dark evergreen foliage.
Handsome Evergreen Foliage
The dark green, ovate leaves measure 2.5-5cm in length and feature finely toothed margins that give the plant a delicate appearance. The glossy foliage maintains its rich colour throughout the year, providing consistent structural interest and serving as an excellent backdrop for other garden plants. Unlike some osmanthus species, the leaves are not prickly, making it comfortable to work around and suitable for areas where people might brush against it.
Distinctive Heritage and Breeding
This rare bigeneric cross between Osmanthus delavayi and Phillyrea vilmoriniana was created before 1919 by Burkwood and Skipworth in England, representing a significant achievement in plant breeding. This distinguished heritage contributes to its exceptional garden performance and reliability, combining the best characteristics of both parent species into a single outstanding shrub.
Seasonal Berry Display
Following the spring flowering display, the plant occasionally produces ovoid bluish purple-black to black drupes, though these are seldom seen in cultivation. When they do appear, the small dark berries provide additional seasonal interest and subtle wildlife value, extending the ornamental appeal beyond the spectacular flowering period.
Adaptable Growth and Size Management
This dense, slow-growing shrub develops a rounded habit, reaching up to 3m in height, though it is easily kept at much lower heights through regular pruning. The moderate growth rate allows for excellent garden planning and management, whilst the naturally dense habit ensures effective screening and structural presence from an early age.
Growing Requirements
- Soil and Position: Osmanthus are easy to grow and thrive in sun or shade, making them remarkably adaptable to various garden situations. Prefers well-drained soil but adapts to most soil types, including slightly alkaline to acidic conditions. Avoid permanently waterlogged sites for optimal performance.
- Light Requirements: Performs excellently in full sun to partial shade, with flowering potentially enhanced in brighter positions. The evergreen foliage maintains its rich colour in various light conditions, making it suitable for both sunny borders and shadier woodland garden settings.
- Soil Preferences: Adaptable to various soil types but performs best in moist, well-drained conditions with good organic content. Tolerates urban pollution and coastal conditions when provided with adequate shelter from strong winds.
Care and Maintenance
- Pruning Requirements: Flowers appear on last season's wood; therefore, it is best to prune directly after flowering to avoid removing next year's flower buds. Light pruning helps maintain shape and encourages dense growth. Popular as a substitute for Box hedging plants for its ability to be trimmed into a variety of shapes.
- Watering Requirements: Very drought tolerant but adaptable to regular irrigation as well. Water regularly during establishment and dry periods, then reduce frequency once established. Maintain consistent moisture levels without waterlogging.
- Fertilising Programme: Apply a balanced slow-release fertiliser in spring to support healthy growth and enhance flowering. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilisers which may encourage excessive foliage growth at the expense of flowers.
Design Applications
- Specimen Plantings: Outstanding as a standalone specimen where the fragrant flowers and architectural foliage can be fully appreciated. Plant near seating areas, pathways, or windows where the exquisite vanilla fragrance can be enjoyed to the fullest.
- Mixed Borders: Provides excellent year-round structure and backdrop for seasonal plantings. The dark evergreen foliage creates striking contrast with lighter-coloured plants and provides permanent framework for changing seasonal displays.
- Hedge and Screen Plantings: Makes a fine hedge that provides privacy whilst delivering spectacular fragrant flowers and evergreen interest. The dense growth habit ensures effective screening whilst the slow growth rate reduces maintenance requirements.
- Woodland Gardens: Perfect for naturalistic woodland edge plantings where the shade tolerance and evergreen structure provide year-round interest beneath deciduous trees.
Seasonal Interest
- Spring Spectacular: The peak flowering period from March to April creates an unforgettable sensory experience as masses of fragrant white flowers cover the shrub, filling the garden with vanilla-scented perfume.
- Summer Structure: The glossy evergreen foliage provides consistent architectural interest throughout the summer months, serving as an excellent backdrop for other flowering plants.
- Autumn Reliability: Maintains its rich foliage colour whilst occasional berry production adds subtle seasonal interest and wildlife value.
- Winter Framework: The dense evergreen structure provides essential winter interest and garden framework when many other plants are dormant.
Hardiness and Reliability
Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10°C), this shrub demonstrates exceptional reliability and garden performance. Osmanthus are slow growing and can take a year or two to establish, but once established, they provide decades of dependable garden performance with minimal maintenance requirements.
Mature Size Expectations
The plant typically reaches 6-8 feet in height and width, developing into an attractive rounded shrub with dense branching. The slow growth rate allows excellent garden planning and ensures the plant won't quickly outgrow its allocated space.
Why Choose Osmanthus × burkwoodii?
This exceptional hybrid represents the perfect combination of sensory appeal, structural reliability, and year-round garden value. The intensely fragrant spring flowers create an unforgettable garden experience, whilst the handsome evergreen foliage provides consistent architectural interest throughout the seasons. The slow growth rate and adaptable nature make it suitable for various garden applications, from specimen plantings to formal hedging.
Whether used for its spectacular fragrant flowers, reliable evergreen structure, or versatile hedging capabilities, Osmanthus × burkwoodii offers exceptional value for gardeners seeking a shrub that combines sensory appeal with architectural presence. This distinguished hybrid provides the perfect balance of fragrance, foliage interest, and garden reliability that makes it an essential addition to any garden seeking truly memorable seasonal fragrance with permanent structural appeal.
Buying Shrubs from Jacksons Nurseries
At Jacksons Nurseries we sell a variety of shrubs both evergreen and deciduous with a variety of flowering times throughout the year. At certain times of the year our shrubs you buy from us may not look like the images shown on our website when deciduous leaves have fallen, the shrub has finished flowering or has been trimmed back.
Some leaves on evergreen shrubs can be damaged in winter by frost or harsh winds but in spring new leaves will readily replace those damaged. This is quite normal on many evergreen varieties and is preferable to plants grown with excessive protection that show cold shock once planted out and establish less satisfactory initially.
Availability: Stock availability figures are provided as a guide only. There is a delay between orders being placed and the plants being gathered by our pulling team. During this time it may be possible for a member of the public to purchase these plants from our Garden Centre, while this is rare it is a possibility and we will notify you of any problems as soon as possible. This figure may also include plants that have not yet be flagged as unsaleable.
Pre-order: Pre-order times are given as a guide only and may vary dependent on the growing season. Orders containing Pre-ordered products will be shipped as a single order when all items become available. Large orders may be part shipped, please contact us on 01782 502741 or email sales@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.
* Please Note: Shrubs in 20 litre pots and above might require a pallet delivery starting at £79.99 per pallet. Depending on the exact pot size and height it may be possible to get approximately 5 plants per pallet at no extra cost. The maximum height we can dispatch on a pallet is 2.0m, this includes the height of the pallet and pot.
Shrubs are deciduous or evergreen woody plants, and often provide fragrant flowers, berries and foliage. They are good for structural framework, and they can provide a wonderful shelter and food source for wildlife.
Planting and Conditions
Container grown shrubs can be grown at any time of year. It is a little known fact that shrubs planted in the autumn and winter will be easier to look after than those planted in the spring and summer, because they will have time to establish and become hardy in the cooler months.
Plant the shrub at the same depth as it was in its original pot. Planting too deeply can result in root and stem rot.
One of the biggest causes of death in new shrubs is drought stress, so keep it well watered until it’s established.
Make sure you loosen the soil prior to planting. Most shrubs are tolerant of most soil types as long as it is fairly well draining.
Most shrubs will grow happily in containers, but they will be much more demanding on feeding and watering than shrubs in the ground would be. They will also need potting on every couple of years so that they don’t suffocate or become stunted in their pot.
Aftercare and Pruning
Once established, shrubs generally do not require much water. However, at first they need careful, frequent watering and should not be left to dry out.
Shrubs in the ground are generally not demanding and in most cases, annual feeding with general purpose fertilizer will suffice. Shrubs in containers may need more feeding; usually from early spring until late summer.
Shrubs also benefit from mulching in order to supress weeds, conserve moisture and provide vital nutrients. Mulch also greatly improves soil conditions. Shrubs can be mulched in late winter, after fertiliser has been applied, but it can be mulched through autumn to late spring as long as the ground is damp.
All shrubs benefit from dead-heading once spent flowers become apparent. Rhododendrons and Lilac especially benefit from the removal of dead flowers.
Some shrubs may show signs of reverted growth or ‘sporting’. This is where random shoots of different leaves associated with the plant’s parentage begin to appear. Most commonly this is where plants with variegated leaves sprout pure green growths instead of variegated ones.
To control reversion, remove reverted shoots promptly to discourage them. Reverted shoots are usually much more vigorous than the variegated ones, and thus should be completely pruned out and cut back into wood containing variegated foliage.
Potential Issues
Although shrubs are usually very robust garden plants, they can sometimes start to decline with no apparent or obvious reason.
This will start with browning leaves, which could indicate plant stress due to lack of water or waterlogging, an establishment failure or, in the worst case scenario, honey fungus. Another cause of leaf browning is a high salt content in the soil. This could be a natural occurrence, especially if you live near the ocean, or it could be from over fertilisation.
To remedy a high salt content, cut back on fertiliser and step up your watering regime for the next few weeks. If you live by the ocean, this will be harder to remedy—but stepping up your watering will help to wash some of the salt away all the same.
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