Osmanthus Fragrans
Common Names: Sweet Olive, Fragrant Tea Olive.
Small creamy-orange flowers of this delightful legendary plant from China fill the air with a rare perfume that surrounds you and penetrates deep into your heart, bringing a touch of floral mystery. The allure of tea made with Osmanthus blossoms is perfect for those times when you want something seductive yet satisfying.
Osmanthus is one of the 10 famous flowers in China and Taiwan. A traditional symbol of Love and Romance, Osmanthus was used in old wedding customs in Taiwan, when the bride prepared Sweet Osmanthus and Pomegranate pot plants and carried them to her new family. The fragrant plant symbolized True Love and Faithfulness and the fruit tree - Fertility and Peace, and the custom had the meaning of "giving birth to noble children" and "many children and many grandchildren".
For modern people the plant is still very much welcomed. Slow growing and easy in cultivation, Osmanthus makes a good container plant. In the ground it can grow into a small tree or shrub that will take a wide range of conditions, from full sun to shade, requires minimum care and is relatively cold hardy at least to zones 8-9
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Osmanthus fragrans, or Sweet Olive (Tea Olive), belongs to Olive Family (Oleaceae) along with numerous jasmines. It is evergreen tree or shrub with a moderate growth rate, native to China. It has glossy dark green leaves 2"x-4" with toothed edges and small 0.5" flowers usually hidden by foliage, with a strong apricot-like fragrance that can be smelled from a distance.
The plant prefers reasonably good soil, but is adaptable to different kinds of soil, including sandy and alkaline. Young plant needs regular watering and once established, little water is required and the plant will thrive well almost with neglect. The tree may be pruned to maintain size or formed as a smaller shrub, and to encourage branching.
Plant Sweet Olive where its lovely fragrance can be enjoyed, wherever there is foot traffic near windows, doors or by outdoor sitting areas. Keep it in a pot if you have limited space, and provide just a little care and Love. This slow growing Plant of Romance is very long-lived and will lighten your winters for a very long time.
Sweet Olive is especially valued as an additive for tea and other beverages in the Far East. The Chinese discovered that the Osmanthus can be used to enhance the natural fruitiness of some of their finest green and black teas. The result is similar to fine jasmine tea (flavored with Jasminum sambac) but lighter and much fruitier. The leaves from the osmanthus are sometimes mixed in with partially fermented green tea to produce a lovely aromatic tea. Osmanthus flowers used to scent tea are known as Kwei Hwa (Kwei Hua).
A scented tea can be made by adding into regular black or green tea a small amount of dried flowers of Osmanthus and Jasmine. The jar with this mix should be sealed for a few weeks, and then used for brew. Osmanthus blossom scented tea with fresh flower petals has an unforgettable scent that can just draw you into feeling a bit drunk...
Medicinal Use:
Osmanthus fragrans flowers (know as Gui Hua, or Kwei Hwa) are widely used in Chinese medicine. There are many medical products made out of sweet osmanthus buds, leaves and bark. They are said to protect against coughs and used to flavor other medicines, and in cosmetics for the hair and skin.
A decoction of the stem bark is used in the treatment of boils, carbuncles etc. A decoction of the lateral roots is used in the treatment of dysmenorrhoea, rheumatism, bruises etc. An essential oil obtained from the flowers is used as an insect repellent for clothes. They are also added to herbal medicines in order to disguise obnoxious flavors.
Both the blossoms and the leaves of this plant are used in the production of some of the world's rarest and most expensive perfumes. Because of its scarcity Osmaunthus Absolute oil is very expensive, up to $3000 per lb, and its use in commercial perfumery is restricted to small quantities.
The Osmanthus scent is often referred to as "the Perfume of Perfumes" due to its pure and intoxicating floral redolence. The fruity notes are a bouquet in themselves as they partake of apricot, plum and raisins. Its most intense aroma is floating and dancing on whispers of breeze, touching the hearts with nostalgia and remembrance of things past.
The Osmanthus flower itself is simply radiant, and some perfumery experts admit that there is not any other perfume that so perfectly catches the beauty of the flower and call it "the reminiscence of a Chinese garden".
Osmanthus perfumes are delightfully fruity, floral fragrances - and yet supremely sophisticated and elegant, rendering the delicacy of the distant land and the mysteries of its most prized flower...
What Are Other's Saying:
"One of the most wonderfully powerful fragrances I've ever had the pleasure of smelling. Year in and out, always incredible. How can such small orange flowers put out such a massive scent? When it's in bloom, everyone in the area knows it, even if you can't really see the flowers unless you're standing beside the shrub/tree. Mine is about 8-10 ft high. I do prune it to keep it from getting too wide, but I don't try to control the height. Absolutely bullet proof: no problems of any kind and no drought or winter has changed its appearance or hardiness an iota. No supplemental watering period, ever." (From Birmingham, AL)
Don’t miss an opportunity to inhale the heady aroma of fresh osmanthus flowers. Either growing outdoors in zones 8-10, or indoors in a container, osmanthus is one of the true delights of the Earth.
DESCRIPTION:
Height: 8-15 ft. (Can be pruned to height of your liking, or will remain manageable in containers grown indoors. Perfect for getting through the winter blues up north!
Flowers: Late Winter/Early Spring, Late Summer/Early Fall, Blooms repeatedly.
Bloom Color: Coral/Apricot, Orange.
Foliage: Evergreen, Aromatic, Smooth-Textured.
This plant may be attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds. Flowers are VERY fragrant.
Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade.
Irrigation: Water regularly; do not overwater. This plant is suitable for growing indoors.
To purchase a Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans), click on this link!
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