Few shrubs we grow evoke an emotional response quite like Osmanthus fragrans ‘Beni Kim Mokusei’. For all its power to inspire devotion, however, it has no connection to the perfectly coiffed televangelist Benny Hinn. This amazing Chinese native evergreen comes in white, yellow, and orange flowered forms. The orange flowering clones are known as Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus. Of the orange flowered clones, this is the gold standard. This perfectly formed shrub has never been clipped, unlike Mr. Hinn’s hair, which is regularly clipped. The overwhelming sweet, fruity floral fragrance wafts to nearly 100′ distance, making it the center of attention when the flowers emerge in early October. Our 13 year old specimen pictured below is now 12′ tall x 12′ wide.
