Pruning tea olive? ? ?

[Ray]

I have a tea olive shrub (osmanthus fragrens) and need to know how to prune it.

First, the shrub is far out of its natural habitat of the lower southeastern United States. I grow it in a large pot which I bring in during the coldest months.

It's presently about 4 feet all. I'm thinking of cutting it back to about 2 feet, with the hope that it will come back thicker.

Is this a good idea?

When should I prune?

There's a photo at the link below:

[gardengal]

just hardy in zones 8 and above, which corresponds to coastal or southeastern locations. It will take pruning well but there is a limit on how much pruning a shrub that can reach 25' will tolerate. If you intend to keep it in a container, so that it can receive winter protection, you should consider it more of a bonsai specimen, and follow through with regular repotting and root pruning as well as trimming back the top growth. Ideally, this should be done in early spring as new growth begins. One thing to keep in mind is that this shrub flowers on old wood, so frequent pruning will reduce or eliminate any flowering potential.