False hollies are low maintenance, adaptable and easy to grow in most conditions, such as urban pollution and coastal areas. It thrives in fertile, well-drained soil in sunny to partially sunny locations. A sunny east-facing or sunny west-facing location that receives a little shade either morning or afternoon is perfect. If planted in full shade, the false holly will grow but foliage colour contrast will be reduced. False holly is an acid-loving plant but can tolerate most soil types. Though it will not flourish being in constantly wet soil year round. The genus name, Osmanthus, is derived from two Greek words. Osme means fragrant, and anthos means flower. The specific epithet, heterophyllus, is from the Greek, hetero meaning different, and phyllus meaning leaf. O. x fortuneihas broader and larger leaves with more numerous and evenly spaced spines. The leaves on False Holly look like Ilex aquipernyi,but the arrangement of the leaves is different.

GIVES NEW PLANTS THE BEST POSSIBLE START - Apply rootgrow by sprinking the appropriate amount into the planting hole, then place the plant in the hole ensuring the roots are touching the granules. Once applied your plants will begin to thrive better than before, improving plant establishment and subsequently bettering flowering and fruiting. The only species which we sadly offer only occasionally is O. fragrans which we found was just too tender for anywhere but a large greenhouse. At Tregrehan Garden they grow O. fragrans f. aurantiacus which has highly fragrant tubular clusters of orange flowers in profusion in the autumn where it grows to 15ft or more in height. A magnificent plant!O. heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’ False Holly: ‘Goshiki’ means five colours in Japanese. The variegated holly-like foliage is attractive with its multiple shades of cream, green, pink, orange, and yellow adds year-round interest. It is hardy and adaptable and grows to about 2.5 m (8 ft) tall. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: False Holly has no serious pest or disease problems, Observe for scale and aphids.

INCREASES UPTAKE OF WATER & NUTRIENTS - Plants treated with Rootgrow develop a secondary root system, with the express purpose of seeking out new sources of water and other key nutrients that are required to keep your plants happy and healthy.CONTAINS MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI - A naturally occuring organism, Mycorrhizal Fungi has been benefiting plants in our world for millions of years. Rootgrow is a granular feed that is commonly used to promote vigourous and robust growth, even in poor soils Stem: Stem Color: Cream/Tan Gray/Silver Stem Is Aromatic: No Stem Lenticels: Conspicuous Stem Description: Twigs are light gray to tan with numerous, extremely small raised lenticels. O. heterophyllus ‘Gulftide’ False Holly: The ‘Gulftide’ is recommended as a screen or for hedging. It is dense and one of the hardiest varieties. The flossy foliage is deep green. It grows to about 2m (6 ft) and prunes easily for hedging or in anoutdoor planter. False holly does not have an aggressive root system as the true holly shrub. It can be planted next to a window so the fragrant scent from the flowers can be enjoyed indoors too. This plant is used in hedges, screens, barriers, or as a specimen plant. False Holly is an underused shrub in the landscape and offers fall interest and is a holly alternative. Due to its size, it would be best to avoid using this shrub as a foundation planting; however, smaller cultivars are available.