If you want a wonderful evergreen shrub with a fragrant bloom, here are two great options.
- Michelia figo, also called banana shrub. It is a slow-growing, evergreen shrub that reach 6-8 feet tall. It has creamy yellow, fragrant flowers that smell sweet, like bananas. Plant it in partial shade in a rich acidic soil; its water needs are moderate.
- Osmanthus fragrans, or Sweet Olive. It is a slow grower, with a broad, densely branched upright form that reaches 10 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide. You can keep it trimmed to 4-5 feet. Sweet olive has dark green, finely toothed leaves and tiny white flower clusters in spring and fall. The flowers have a wonderful apricot-type fragrance. Sweet olive likes a rich, acid soil and has moderate water needs. May need protection in extremely cold winters.
Lisa Weems, Smith County Master Gardener
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