Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Gulftide’ False Holly
- Evergreen shrub, dense, upright, grows to 10 ft high and 5-10 ft wide. Leaves very glossy green, slight twist and spiny margins; reportedly become less spiny with maturity. Gulftide Osmanthus grows at a slow rate.
- Full sun to part shade, prefers fertile, moist, well drained, acid soil.
- Hardy to USDA Zone (6) 7, reportedly more cold tolerant than the species.
The cultivar’s clusters of tiny white autumn flowers boast a sweet, jasmine-like scent and are followed by black rather than red berries when the bush chooses to fruit, which reportedly doesn’t happen often.