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Osmanthus fragrans

In autumn, the orange flowers bloom in dense clusters on the branches, giving off a strong sweet fragrance. Along with ginkgo biloba and gardenia, kumquats are known as one of the three most fragrant trees because of their strongly fragrant flowers.

Osmanthus fragrans bloom when the summer is over and the weather gets a little cooler. The flowers are orange, very small, and give off a sweet, mellow fragrance. The scent is so strong, especially at night, that you can smell it even if you are not near it. The genus name, Osmanthus, is derived from the Greek words osme (meaning "smell") and anthos (meaning "flower"). The trunk is thick and well branched, reaching a height of about 4 meters. The leaves are 5-9 cm long, leathery, and have a slightly yellowish underside. The flowers are dioecious, with four rows of sepals and four deep corollas, two stamens and one pistil. Sweet Olive is a popular garden tree because it grows well in the shade and is easy to grow even for beginners.

The orange-flowered Osmanthus. There is also a plant with white flowers called Silver Osmanthus!

Osmanthus	Silver Osmanthus

It is characterized by its flowers blooming one by one at the tip of each twig. The number of flowers is less than that of Osmanthus. If you look closely, the leaves seem to be different. The leaves of Osmanthus have large spikes and pointed tips. The leaves of Silver Osmanthus have finer spines and are generally rounder and glossier.

Differences in the Language of Flowers

The language of flowers for Osmanthus is "humility", "modesty", "euphoria", and "first love". The word "humble" is said to be a reference to its small, modest flowers that belie its sweet and wonderful fragrance. The word "noble" is also said to come from the fact that when it rains, the flowers fall gracefully without sparing their fragrance.
The language of Silver Osmanthus, "first love", "noble," "attracts your attention," and "first love. The words "first love" and "honorable" are said to have come from the fact that the pure white flowers look honorable. There is also a story that beautiful Chinese women used to drink liquor containing Silver Osmanthus before a date to make the fragrance smell sweet. Such stories are said to have given rise to flowery words such as "attract your attention" and "first love".

Medicinal use

The medicinal part of Sweet Olive is the flowers, which are used for gastritis, hypotension, and insomnia. The flowers are collected under a plastic sheet under the tree and dried in the shade to make the crude medicine, "mokusei". To use it as a food, put 30-50 g of dried flowers in 1.8 liters of shochu (distilled spirit), keep it in a cool, dark place for about three months, and dilute it with a cup of water or hot water and drink it when you have an upset stomach. When you have an upset stomach, you can dilute it with a cup of water or hot water. Guihua tea is made by drying the flowers of the Chinese fragrant olive. It has a sweet aroma and can be infused as is or mixed with black tea or oolong tea.