Common Name: dense longwood
Type: Broadleaf evergreen
Family: Salicaceae
Native Range: China
Zone: 8 to 11
Height: 8.00 to 12.00 feet
Spread: 8.00 to 12.00 feet
Bloom Time: Flowers not showy
Bloom Description: Cream
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Annual, Hedge
Leaf: Evergreen
Tolerate: Deer, Drought
Culture
Easily grown in evenly moist, well-draining soils in full sun to part shade. Tolerant of heat and some drought once established. Hardy in Zones 8-11.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Xylosma congestum, commonly called dense longwood or shiny xylosma, is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to China, Japan, and Korea where it is found in forest margins and thickets. Mature specimens in the wild have been recorded as tall as 50', but in cultivation plants will reach around 12' tall with an equal spread. If trained into a tree form, this plant has a low, spreading canopy with an umbrella shape. As a shrub, the dense, well-branched growth makes it ideal for hedges or screens. The glossy, leathery, light green leaves are ovate in shape and can reach up to 3" long and 1.5" wide. Small, inconspicuous, cream-colored flowers bloom seasonally on the terminal ends of the branches, followed by dark red to black berries.
Genus name comes from the Greek xylon meaning "wood" and osme meaning "fragrance" for the scented wood of some species.
The specific epithet congestum means "arranged close together" or "crowded"
Problems
No major pest or disease problems reported. Deer tend to avoid this plant.
Uses
Takes well to shearing and can be used as a formal or informal evergreen hedge or screen. Can also be pruned into a multi-stemmed tree. A good accent or background plant for mixed beds and borders. Suitable for xeriscaping, but regular watering will result in more lush, dense growth.