NOTE: The terms Fragrant tea olive and Osmanthus fragrans are identical in this text; in reality, Osmanthus fragrans is Fragrant tea olive’s biological word.
The fragrant tea olive, sweet osmanthus, sweet olive, and fragrant olive are some of the common names for Osmanthus fragrans, an evergreen broadleaf shrub. Long grown as a large indoor plant, fragrant tea olive is becoming more popular as an outdoor garden plant in warmer climates.
It is a dense, multi-stemmed plant with dark green leathery leaves that produces small but fragrant white flowers in the spring and sometimes a smaller secondary bloom period in the fall. The principal bloom period in some regions is fall, and the plant has been known to bloom intermittently year-round.
Why does my Osmanthus fragrans roots have rot?
Root rot on your Fragrant tea olive (Osmanthus fragrans) can be fatal if not treated with care. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you follow our guide to keep your plant alive if the symptoms occur: Root soft and blackened.
Why does my Fragrant tea olive have gray mold spots?
Gray mold spots are a specific fungus that regularly harms flowers and spreads swiftly. If you notice any brown (or gray) spots, this fungus is probably to cause. You risk your plant dying if you ignore these warning indications.
Our Solution
When you understand the root of the issue, the solution makes perfect sense. The majority of the time, it is caused by the Osmanthus fragrans being overwatered. We urge you to cut off the infected roots and leaves, remove the affected sections of the plant, and then repot your plant in a fresh container with sterile potting soil.
Why does my Fragrant tea olive have leaf spots?
This type of disease is one of the most frustrating for Fragrant tea olive owners, we give you all the leads to spot and save your plants that present symptoms such as leaves that suddenly change color, or wilt/droop.
Why are my Fragrant tea olive leaves turning yellow?
Yellowing leaves are arguably the most prevalent issue in the gardening world. Overwatering or a lack of nutrients are the 2 main causes of this issue.
When it’s overwatering, simply reduce your watering frequency, and if you think it’s a nutrient deficiency, here’s how to check it:
Here are some indicators of yellowing on the Osmanthus fragrans brought on by its numerous flaws:
- Yellow patches between leaf veins on elder leaves are the first sign of magnesium shortage. Veins continue to be green while the leaf’s core turns yellow. The leaf’s edges yellow last.
- Another indicator of iron deficiency is yellowing between leaf veins, but young leaves on plant tops and branch tips are first affected.
- Sulfur deficiency starts with the newest leaves, turning them yellow throughout.
- Leaf edges turning bright yellow but inside leaf remaining green are signs of potassium insufficiency. The symptoms first appear on older leaves, and the leaf edges quickly become dark.
- A broad yellowing indicates a nitrogen deficiency. Yellowing starts with older, inner leaves. Yellowing spreads as it advances, eventually touching new leaves as well.
Our Solution
According to the symptoms mentioned above, you just have to act accordingly. You can reduce your watering frequency, or fix a deficiency in Potassium, or Nitrogen, for that, you just have to buy a special soil for your deficiency, a consultant in a gardening store will know perfectly well how to inform you.
Is my Fragrant tea olive sunburned?
It is quite easy to find out if your Fragrant tea olive (Osmanthus fragrans) has been burned by the sun. Just like on us, your plant will change color in this case, it will start to turn yellow or white.
The leaves of your Fragrant tea olive can also change color in case it gets too much water or not enough light, as we saw above.
The bottom of the yellow leaves with a shaded area closer to the base can be examined to determine if they have been sunburned. If this part remains greener, the yellow leaf is most likely sunburned and not something else.
Why are my Fragrant tea olive leaves turning brown?
Most of the time, leaves of a Fragrant tea olive that turn brown is a sign that your plant has been sunburned, it has probably been exposed to too much direct sunlight. Don’t panic, your plant probably won’t die from this, but its growth will take a hit.
Should I leave my Osmanthus fragrans in direct sunlight?
No! If your Osmanthus fragrans (or Fragrant tea olive) has the symptoms described above, don’t leave it in direct sunlight, that’s the reason why your Fragrant tea olive is in such a state!
Our Solution
As explained in the paragraph above, the solution is simple, just place your Fragrant tea olive in a place where the light does not reach it directly, in this way and with a correct watering, your plant should resume its life rather quickly.
Why are my Osmanthus fragrans leaves drooping or wilting ?
This typically occurs when your Osmanthus fragrans gets dehydrated. Large plants are more at risk since they naturally require more water than smaller plants.
An easy way to know if your Osmanthus fragrans is lacking water is to under-weigh its pot, if it looks light, it means that the soil and the roots are probably quite dry, and therefore need water!
Our Solution
If the soil in the container is completely dry, you must first moisten it to guarantee that your plant’s roots absorb the benefits of the water. One common mistake is to drown the Fragrant tea olive right away after a dry time because you think it needs a lot of water.
This is true, but the easiest way to end it is to give too much water at once. Instead, you should water the soil properly, returning to a peaceful watering rhythm.
Caring Tips for Osmanthus fragrans
Water Occasionally
Water is necessary for your plant to live, but timing and amount of watering must be balanced. Overwatering could have disastrous effects on your own name, as we already mentioned.
You can tell if your plant needs water by touching the soil; if it still feels damp, it’s usually preferable to wait a few more days.
Always keep temperatures stable
Maintaining a consistent temperature for your Osmanthus fragrans is also a good idea, especially if it is kept indoors. At GreenShack, we typically advise reserving a temperature between 65 and 85 degrees F. Of course, avoid positioning your Osmanthus fragrans close to air conditioners, radiators, or other sources of hot or cold air.
Keep your Fragrant tea olive Dust-Free
This one is about houseplants. Your indoor plants’ leaves get dusty just like your furniture does. The problem is that this might prevent photosynthesis from beginning, which would result in the plants gradually losing their color.
This would also make the pests happy, a real descent into hell for your Fragrant tea olive.
Take a microfiber cloth and gently massage the plant’s leaves to get rid of the dust. Use a damp cloth to make dust removal easier, but avoid using corrosive materials like rubbing alcohol!
Keep drainage in mind
If you have a tendency to overwater, you should be mindful of your drainage, and if they don’t already have them, we suggest selecting a saucer and a pot with drainage holes.
In the meantime, if you don’t have holes in your pots, you can add volcanic rocks (or any rocks with holes) at the bottom of your pot, this way it will create a channel so that the water doesn’t stay in your skin too much (to avoid that roots start to rot!)
