Osmanthus Fragrans



Posted: Thursday, November 27, 2008

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Osmanthus fragrans, also known as Sweet Osmanthus is a species of Osmanthus native to Asia, from the Himalaya east through southern China (Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan) and to Taiwan and to southern Japan.

It is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing to 3–12m tall. The leaves are 7–15 cm long and 2.6–5 cm broad, with an entire or finely toothed margin. The flowers are white, pale yellow, yellow, or orange-yellow, small (1 cm long), with a four-lobed corolla 5 mm diameter, and have a strong fragrance; they are produced in small clusters in the late summer and autumn. The fruit is a purple-black drupe 10–15 mm long containing a single hard-shelled seed; it is mature in the spring about six months after flowering.

It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens in Asia, Europe, North America, and elsewhere in the world, for its deliciously fragrant flowers which carry the scent of ripe peaches or apricots. A number of cultivars have been selected for garden use, with varying flower colour.



In Chinese, the plant's flowers are used, infused with green or black tea leaves, to create a scented tea. In Chinese cuisine, the flowers are also used to produce osmanthus-scented jam, sweet cakes, dumplings, soups, and even liquor.

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» left by Star Lyn
 3 years 50 days ago.
22 fans.
David,
 
I always find information like what you presented here informative and interesting. Thank you for sharing.
 
Star Lyn
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