Holly-leaved OsmanthusBase 'Aureomarginatus'

'Aureomarginatus' is a sophisticated evergreen shrub that provides year-round colour and fragrance. It features holly-like, spiny leaves that are dark green with a striking, irregular creamy-yellow margin. In late autumn and early winter, it produces clusters of tiny white flowers that, although small, possess an incredibly powerful and sweet jasmine-like fragrance that carries well on the air. These are occasionally followed by small black fruits. As it is slow-growing and dense, it makes an excellent choice for a medium-sized formal hedge or a dramatic backdrop in a border. It is often mistaken for a variegated holly, but the leaves are opposite rather than alternate. It is quite hardy but benefits from a site protected from the coldest winter winds to prevent foliage scorch. It grows well in most fertile, well-drained soils and maintains its brightest variegation in a sunny position, though it is quite shade-tolerant.

Sun: Full sun to partial shade.

Soil: Well-drained, fertile soil.

Hardiness: H5 — down to −15°C.

Flowering: Sep, Oct, Nov.