PlantFiles: Holly Olive, False Holly
Osmanthus heterophyllus

I live in Zone 7a in Wilmington, Delaware and I have found this plant to be reliably hardy. This species does well in sun or shade but can get browned from winter sun if it is too intense (like if planted along a south-facing wall and there is glare from snow, for example). Mine do better in part sun / part shade and even grow well on the cooler north side of my house, where they have never shown any winter damage. I grow the "Variegatus" variety.

I have Osmanthus in my garden for two years. I´m from Sarajevo, Bosnia (7a?!). This winter my plant recive frost down to -17 C (there wasn´t snow cover at the time of that freeze) without any visible damage.

I was surprised that so many of the “False Hollies” are classified differently. But all fall under the same name, Osmanthus heterophyllus

Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Variegatus' is not hardy in zone 7, when all of the charts say it is. I would like to find a variegated false holly that would grow in Ohio.