Kinmokusei (in Japanese)

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by shiroto, Mar 22, 2008.

  1. shiroto

    shiroto Member

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    Howdy!

    I'm looking for a tree called "Kinmokusei" in Japanese. It flowers in early fall and emit wonderful fragrance. I don't know it's English name and never seen one in Vancouver, B.C. Has anyone heard about the tree, or does anybody know where it is available?

    Thanks a bunch!
     
  2. eric_r

    eric_r Active Member 10 Years

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    I recall this plant from when I lived in Japan twenty years ago. I remember trying to identify it at one time and THINK that it is some kind of osmanthus. We have a (different) white-flowered osmanthus delavay(ii?) that a lot of people grow in Vancouver. (We have a couple of small bushes that are just starting to bloom now.) I seem to recall that kinmokusei is not hardy in Vancouver. I'm not as expert about plants as many people who post on this forum, but if it is fact an osmanthus, someone else may be able to provide you with further information.
     
  3. eric_r

    eric_r Active Member 10 Years

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    I believe it is osmanthus fragrans, which is definitely not hardy in Vancouver. If you tried to grow it here I suppose that the first problem would be obtaining a specimen. You could try to give it some kind of winter protection -- for example if it were small enough to grow in a pot that you could bring into an unheated part of a house during cold spells in the winter.
     
  4. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    O. fragrans probably has more hardy and less hardy forms. A couple of examples of one form, labeled simply as the species, have grown on a clay bank at the Seattle arboretum for many years. Named selections on the local market in recent years have been distributed from the Lower Mainland. Search

    http://www.pirocheplants.com/broadleavedevergreens.htm

    for "fragrans" to see listing and descriptions.
     
  5. shiroto

    shiroto Member

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    Thank you for the answers!

    Cheers,
     

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