The growth habit of O. fortunei is quite a bit larger...and those leaves are entirely different. O. fragrans is the Tea Olive and has small but incredibly fragant flowers in the cool seasons. O. fortunei (typically called Osmanthus) is also fragrant, but nothing like the Tea Olive. Yummmm! Osmanthus is hardier, too. We were given a Tea Olive for our North Alabama back yard, and it's done just fine over two years, but I wouldn't expect it to do well if it ever got into the single digits.

More Contributions, there are 4 groups, and here is a big list that I've compiled of various cultivars and which group they fall into. Basically Semperflorens (sijigui) are the variety that flower all the time, where as all others flower in the fall. besides color of the flower there are other differences which I am still deciphering. I know this list is daunting, but basically if you're looking to purchase a cultivar and you are not sure what characteristics or qualities it has, this will help for us non chinese speakers! Group Code Cultivar Origin Luteus (Thunbergii) "JinGui" HT1 Zaojingui-1 Hubei HT2 Zijingui Hubei HT3 Yuanban Jingui-1 Hubei HT4 Huangchuan Jingui Hubei HT5 Jinhuataige Hubei HT6 Qiugui-1 Hubei ZT1 Qiugui-2 Zhejiang ZT2 Jinqiugui‘Jinqiu’ Zhejiang ZT3 Wandian Jin Zhejiang ZT4 Congzhong Xiao Zhejiang GT1 Juye Zijingui Guangxi GT2 Yuanye Zijingui Guangxi GT3 Taoye Jingui Guangxi GT4 Zaojingui-2 Guangxi GT5 Yuanban Jingui-2 Guangxi GT6 Hanxiao Guangxi GT7 Yuanye Jingui Guangxi GT8 Heishan Jingui Guangxi GT9 Heishanzhizhu Guangxi HT7 Zuiyun Hubei 43 Zie Guilin, Guangxi 44 Xiaoye Yingui Guilin, Guangxi 45 Susheng Jingui Chengdu, Sichuan 46 Daye Zijingui Nanjing, Jiangsu 47 Qiugui Xianning, Huibei 48 Jinhuataige Xianning, Huibei 49 Zaozihuang Hangzhou, Zhejiang 50 Jinshigui Nanjing, Jiangsu 51 Moye Jingui Guilin, Guangxi 52 Jinqiugui Nanjing, Jiangsu 53 Chenghuan Jingui Nanjing, Jiangsu 54 Zaojingui Xianning, Hubei 55 Heishan Jingui Guilin, Guangxi 56 Dahua Jingui Hangzhou, Zhejiang 57 Yuanban Jingui Guilin, Guangxi 58 Huangchuan Jingui Xianning, Hubei 59 Taoyehuang Hangzhou, Zhejiang 60 Chuizhihuang Hangzhou, Zhejiang 61 Hangzhouhuang Hangzhou, Zhejiang 62 Lianye Jingui Hangzhou, Zhejiang 63 Wanjingui Hangzhou, Zhejiang 64 Wanxin Nanjing, Jiangsu 65 Ziyun Guilin, Guangxi 66 Baozhu Guilin, Guangxi 67 Zhuguan Zijingui Nanjing, Jiangsu 68 Liuyesugui Hangzhou, Zhejiang 69 Duoya Jingui Shanghai 70 Dayehuang Nanjing, Jiangsu 71 Yuhuahuang Nanjing, Jiangsu 72 Boye Jingui Hangzhou, Zhejiang 73 Wandianjin Hangzhou, Zhejiang Albus (Latifolius) Yingui HL1 Zigeng Zigui Hubei HL2 Changgengbai Hubei HL3 Yinxing Hubei HL4 Jiangnan Liren Hubei ZL1 Wanyingui Zhejiang ZL2 Yulinglong Zhejiang GL1 Yuanye Ziyingui Guangxi GL2 Chiye Ziyingui Guangxi GL3 Qinyun Guangxi GL4 Yaotiaoshunv Guangxi GL5 Cuizhu Guangxi GL6 Ruichi Yingui Guangxi GL7 Ziyun Guangxi 14 Boye Yingui Hangzhou, Zhejiang 15 Mihua Ziyingui Nanjing, Jiangsu 16 Yinxing Xianning, Hubei 17 Changgengbai Xianning, Hubei 18 Jiangnanliren Xianning, Hubei 19 Dahua Zaoyingui Nanjing, Jiangsu 20 Zigeng Ziyingui Nanjing, Jiangsu 21 Yulinglong Nanjing, Jiangsu 22 Xiaye Wanyingui Nanjing, Jiangsu 23 Zaoyingui Shanghai 24 Liuyegui Shanghai 25 Baijie Shanghai 26 Jiulonggui Shanghai 27 Wanyingui Shanghai 28 Yulianyinsi Hangzhou, Zhejiang 29 Changyebizhu Hangzhou, Zhejiang 30 Daye Yinggui Hangzhou, Zhejiang 31 Juanban Ziyingui Hangzhou, Zhejiang 32 Duoban Ziyingui Nanjing, Jiangsu 33 Ziyingui Shanghai 34 Yangmeiye Yingui Hangzhou, Zhejiang 35 Ehuang Hangzhou, Zhejiang 36 Xiangyun Hangzhou, Zhejiang 37 Kuoye Zaoyingui Nanjing, Jiangsu 38 Chuanyinqiu Nanjing, Jiangsu 39 Xizi Yingui Nanjing, Jiangsu 40 Zaohuang Shanghai 41 Mantianxing Nanjing, Jiangsu 42 Xiaojiabiyu Guilin, Guangxi Aurantiacus DanGui HA1 Chiye Dangui Hubei HA2 Gecheng Dangui Hubei HA2 Dangui Hubei HA2 Mantiaohong Hubei HA2 Zhuangyuanhong Zhejiang HA2 Yingye Dangui Zhejiang HA2 Hongyan Ningxiang Zhejiang HA2 Zuijihong Zhejiang 74 Congzhongxiao Hangzhou, Zhejiang 75 Zuiyun Xianning, Hubei 76 Mantiaohong Hangzhou, Zhejiang 77 Gecheng Dangui Xianning, Hubei 78 Chiye Dangui Xianning, Hubei 79 Zaohong Chengdu, Sichuan 80 Honghai Chengdu, Sichuan 81 Xionghuanggui Nanjing, Jiangsu 82 Yingye Dangui Shanghai 83 Shanghai Dangui Shanghai 84 Jiaorong Hangzhou, Zhejiang 85 Xiaoyan Hangzhou, Zhejiang 86 Zuijihong Guilin, Guangxi 87 Suzhouhong Nanjing, Jiangsu 88 Zhusha Dangui Shanghai 89 Suzhouqiancheng Nanjing, Jiangsu 90 Yuhuahong Nanjing, Jiangsu 91 Danhongcuizhou Nanjing, Jiangsu 92 Taoye Dangui Nanjing, Jiangsu 93 Hangzhou Dangui Nanjing, Jiangsu 94 Pucheng Dangui Nanjing, Jiangsu 95 Zhuangyuanhong Hangzhou, Zhejiang 96 Hongyanningxiang Hangzhou, Zhejiang 97 Xiaoye Dangui Hangzhou, Zhejiang 98 Chenghong Dangui Hangzhou, Zhejiang 99 Zidangui Hangzhou, Zhejiang 100 Yunnan Dangui Kunming, Yunnan Asiaticus (semperflorens) sijigui HF1 Sijigui-1 Hubei ZF1 Sijigui-2 Zhejiang ZF2 Tianxiang Taige Zhejiang ZF3 Danzhuang Zhejiang ZF4 Tiannv Sanhua Zhejiang 1 Sijigui Shanghai 2 Yueyuegui Shanghai 3 Rixianggui Shanghai 4 Daye Sijigui Shanghai 5 Fodingzhu Shanghai 6 Jinyetianxiang Jinhua, Zhejiang 7 Xiaoye Sijigui Shanghai 8 Tianxiangtaige Shanghai 9 Huangjin Nanjing, Jiangsu 10 Dongxianghong Hangzhou, Zhejiang 11 Xiaoronghuang Nanjing, Jiangsu 12 Tiannvsanhua Hangzhou, Zhejiang 13 Xiaoyefodingzhu Nanjing, Jiangsu

Ericta，your plant, I think, has got some damage on its root sysytem. This could be resulted by two thing, 1. you put too much water so the soil in pot is too wet that the root system cannot breath well. 2.Osmanthus like acidic soil, and in most cases, after long time of watering, the soil's ph become higher, that also damage root.

Clemson isn't a disreputable nursery, obviously. We can assume they didn't post that statement out of a willful disregard of the truth. I wonder if at some point someone read a European or Asian source about it surviving -8C, and accidentally translated it to -8F? VERY BROADLY speaking, across all plant genera, you expect the more deeply colored representative of a given clade of related plant genera or species to be LESS hardy. For example, with Rhododendron arboreum, *generally speaking* the lighter pink and white forms are the hardiest, highest elevation forms. While the blood red ones seen in the photos of tourists visiting Nepal, are down lower a bit, in the thoroughly subtropical areas that do not freeze in a normal winter. I did see a creamy-light-yellow one at Duke Gardens, but didn't see the tag if it had one. Dave any idea which cultivar that is? At least O. X fortunei has been hardy in my garden, through the polar winters, and is more fragrant that any of the O. heterophyllus cultivars I have, 2 of which now bloom regularly. Sam posted a picture of the huge O. X fortunei at Udel.