Is this ever going to bloom?

Would be helpful to know more about exposure. I don't think they thrive in deep shade. (true of many BLEs)
But all I can say is I've noticed they do take a little longer to settle in and bloom than most BLEs. I have one I bought from Nurcar 3 years (a supposed hardy orange fragrans selected at Clemson) that still hasn't bloomed. It's a little smaller than yours. The good news is it was barely injured by the surprise drop to 5F. My O. X fortunei took a few years to start, too.

Thank you very much for the reply! My little tree is in the sun until about 1-2 PM. It was just cloudy when I was taking pics earlier.

Good luck. I suspect they are in the category of plant that likes to build a very strong root system before it 'decides to reproduce'.

Thank you again. That is true of so many woodies.

There's so much extraneous info on a plant label but I'd like to see a "patience level" indicator.

I have a potted O. fragrans. I'm also awaiting its first bloom. Potted specimens at nearby Missouri Botanical Garden bloom gloriously (at least they used to, until the huge camellia pavillion was emptied out during recent renovation) ... Mine has to overwinter in garage. Waiting patiently.

It's plenty big enough to bloom. Try giving it a shot of a superbloom food.

Best luck to your plant, Scott!

Thank you very much, Cal.

Well here we are a year later and this plant has still not bloomed. This was expensive, for me, at $37 if I'm remembering right. Bought in May, 2021. I'm frustrated. Could it have been mislabeled?

There should be SOMETHING.
Could you get some pics of individual leaves and close-ups of the stem with leaf-bases and petioles? Are the leaves fairly stiff with slight serrations on the edges? We WILL figure this out!

Looks like tea olive to me...

I'm seeing flowers on the ones that I dug out for somebody and then planted next to the fence at my house... Mine are in some pretty deep shade...

I think these just need more time.

Thank you for the replies and interest. Here are more pics.

for scale:


soft wood & leaf juncture:




leaf reverse:


older stems:


leaf tops:


Other blooming plants around/near the base are doing great.

Looks right to me.
I have had a few, and they don't really enjoy our climate, but once they decided to bloom they seemed to be regular bloomers. They looked noticeably better with a high-iron fertilizer.

Thank you for your reply. : ) There are a lot of these around this area an they seem to do well with no care at all, from the locations where I've seen them. That is why I felt comfortable spending so much on a plant. I think the red dirt in this area naturally has a lot of iron in it.

purpleinopp said: There are a lot of these around this area an they seem to do well with no care at all, from the locations where I've seen them.
That is why I felt comfortable spending so much on a plant.
I think the red dirt in this area naturally has a lot of iron in it.

Very easy plant in this area.

That red clay is the good stuff.

How much did you spend?
I find the scent to be way overwhelming, and wouldn't have planted, except they were free and I needed to keep the deer off the garden fence.

It was $37. I LOVE the scent. It is supposed to be waft through the window. A romantic notion that few plants can accomplish. Right now the whole world just stinks like privet. I know some people like it but I really actively dislike it very much.

I am with you on privet. Also pear, hawthorn, and Photinia. Yuck.

My neighbor planted several photinias along the fence line that are currently in full bloom. I'm gagging.

Ditto on privet, also those japanese paper bush (Edgeworthia).

Have you ever planted brugmansia next to the house?
In the evening waves of scent come off those... enough to drive me out of the house to get away from that strong scent....

Noticing a lot of strong smells recently... like some roses...

Blanking on others...

Yes! I do have a Brug by another window a few feet from the Osmanthus of this discussion. When it's cool enough to have that window open when it blooms, it does waft through the window into my office, mission accomplished.

Another window has a Gardenia by it. That window is in our laundry room so I'm not in there for long periods of time but it has been observed wafting also, when it has a lot of blooms.

I'm a big fan of putting wafters by windows because most of our windows are open unless it's raining or very cold. No central heat or A/C in this old house built before electricity. Osmanthus was more of a gamble because I usually see the nearby ones blooming in Feb, which has fewer windows-open days.