Has a neutral, gentle personality and always speaks frankly about anything. Oregon State Univ. Having been collected in South China the plant did not take well to the English weather and failed to flower well. . ( Log Out /  Thank you for visiting and I hope you like what you find. A beloved tea with a lovely scent and flavor it can also be used medicinally to promote healthy skin, lower blood pressure, counter stress, and reduce inflammation. Try it at: The wine is common in the southern Chinese city of Guilin, whose name literally means "Forest of Osmanthus." 1784; O.ovalis Miquel; Osmanthus longibracteatus H. T. Chang; O.macrocarpus P. Y. Bai.. Osmanthus fragrans (photo Apalachee Hills landscape) All osmanthus species are related to the olive, so the common name is appropriate. Osmanthus fragrans has been in cultivation in China for over 2000 years, well before it was ever introduced into the west in 1856. Over many years, I’ve been working in southeastern China on various projects. aurantiacus is the orange-flowered form that one can find occasionally in the landscapes of the South and it’s a treasure when it reaches peak bloom and fragrance. Fragrances just as evocative, but that would not fetch a great sum in the hotel gift shops of Hong Kong. I look forward to returning to Hangzhou again next year to experience this scent again, and perhaps track down a pot of osmanthus jam. ed. There are now over 157 varieties of sweet olive in China divided into four main groups: Fragrans, Latifolius, Thunbergii, and Aurantiacus. Osmanthus or guìhuā in Manadarin (桂花), is a sweet, fragrant flower native to East Asia. The life and loves of a time-poor plantsman. All osmanthus species are related to the olive, so the common name is appropriate. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Botanical Name: Osmanthus fragrans Osmanthus, also known as sweet olive, is one of the ten most known flowers in China. The Chinese name for this cultivar is 'Yue Yue Hong' (meaning "monthly red") and is a cultivar from Guangxi province. Small stub grafts are stuck in the early spring, wrapped thoroughly and the take is “OK”. Add flour, yeast and water to form a smooth dough. Xiang’s work is legend. I can offer you 2 suggestions at wild extremes. Chinese Mid Autumn Festival 中秋節 is coming around the corner! Aha, so that’s why 5-star hotels always smell so good. In paper art style with its Chinese name on big round lantern, rabbits and osmanthus design elements Mid-autumn festival poster. ( Log Out /  14, 57. aurantiacus, a plant your neighbours are very unlikely to have. Protective fences mark their importance. Sweet olive is not a small shrub or tree, reaching 12 metres in time. An excellent poet. The white form of Osmanthus fragrans is available from Burncoose Nurseries in Cornwall. With the grand scale of development in China it’s not surpising that many ancient sweet olives have found themselves in the way. The flowers, in Chinese guì huā 桂花 (literally translated as ‘cinnamon flower’), can be used to make teas (guì huā chá 桂花茶), jams, soups, liqueurs, deserts, confectionery and medicines – a little like our own delicate elderflowers. Osmanthus fragrans var. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. We visited one nursery near Guangzhou that produces 1.5 million cutting grown plants per year! You should add only a teaspoon of Osmanthus flowers to make Osmanthus tea. campus: on bank northeast of Withycombe Hall. In June 2012, I visited a very small nursery near Chang Jie village, Ninghai county, Ningbo city in Zhejiang province in southeastern China. Change ). In fact, during October when the species is at its best, over ten Chinese cities honor the plant with a wide variety of special holidays. This traditional Chinese garden was established at Cornwall Park in 1996 to commemorate Hastings' 15th anniversary of our sister city relationship with Guilin. He will grow these into a big ball and retrieve a very high price for the ultimate specimen. Well, that seemed easy enough but I thought my knowledge the subject might be more or less summed up in a minute or two. Native to China and enjoying a wide range, there are many old patriarchs over 1000 years old. 16. Osmanthus fragrans (photo Apalachee Hills landscape). This Chinese cultivar has some of the largest and most fragrant flowers of this species. It is ideal for tea lovers that prefer a fresh, green oolong quality and refined, floral balance to the brew. Osmanthus Flower Jelly 桂花糕 By Ellen L. Published: 2017-09-18. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Chinese Name: 驴打滚 lǘ dǎ gǔn Flavor: sweet and tender Cook Method: steam This is one of best local food in Beijing and a classic dessert. The flowers on those Sweet Olives are so delicately beautiful. It rests alone in the valley and when in bloom on a still early morning the entire valley is filled with its magic. ( Log Out /  In the UK, sweet olive is considered slightly tender, tolerating short spells below 0°C but preferring temperatures a little more on the balmy side. ( Log Out /  Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. While never destined for the mass market, it boasts good fragrance and growth rate. ( Log Out /  In the south of England a warm wall might offer enough winter protection, otherwise a cool conservatory might be a better choice. The fragrance in a confined space would be superb. Olea fragrans Thunberg ex Murray, Syst. Osmanthus fragrans var. In the mix of things, there are reports of many “colorful” leaf forms with some sporting red to burgundy to pink new growth. By the way, about that link to Dave’s Garden… On the forums, I have posted pictures of unknown obscure plants, and people have identified them amazingly fast! The most exciting recent introduction into the USA is ‘Fudingzhu’, or more popularly known as ‘Nanjing Beauty’. I had to deliver a presentation on “The Status and Use of Osmanthus fragrans in Southern USA Landscapes”. The flowering of sweet olive is much celebrated in China, with Hangzhou and Suzhou selecting it as their city flower. These trees are dug, relocated, cut back, and given special attention for a decade or more before finding a permanent home. The flowers of O. fragrans are used throughout East Asia for their scent and flavour, which is likened to apricot and peach. In a carnival-like atmosphere, Chinese citizens flock to sweet olive festivals to bask in the fragrance and glory of the plant. The 2004 conference included one day of talks from international and Chinese lecturers and then, best of all, two days of touring gardens in Shuzhou and Hangzhou famous for the species. Osmanthus flowers have a concentrated flavor. Osmanthus Menu I learned that Mr. Wang must graft these onto older trees to get them to grow. Osmanthus fragrans ‘Zhusha Dangui’ is more orange than red? For more of a showy plant, track down the the orange-flowered variant, Osmanthus fragrans var. Change ). The leaves are green to slightly silvered and the flowers white, cream or pale yellow and insignificant – similar in some ways to Elaeagnus ‘Quicksilver’ . I am The Frustrated Gardener and this is my blog. I’m quite excited about doing my daughter’s landscape in her new house in Alabama. However, it is always better to consult your doctor first if you want to drink it during pregnancy. It is made of glutinous millet flour, soybean powder, sweetened bean paste, sugar, brown sugar or sweet red bean paste, sesame oil and osmanthus. Osmanthus fragrans (lit. I looked up Sweet Olive and Birmingham, Alabama just squeaks by with USDA Zone 7B http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1450/#b . I so enjoy it. Today, a specimen can be found in the more clement surroundings of the temperate house at Kew. Whether or not a true red exists in culture or in the wild is the stuff of legend, rumors and innuendo. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The most exciting recent introduction into the USA is ‘Fudingzhu’, or more popularly known as ‘Nanjing Beauty’. aurantiacus – Oct 17, 2004. Osmanthus found its way into alcohol in form of wine that is associated with the Mid-Autumn festival. Osmanthus Oolong is a fragrant green oolong infused with osmanthus flowers. Chinese Zodiac Folklore S19; Wedding Folklore S19; Fall 2018. Origin: China. Professors Xiang Qibai and Liu Yulian, Nanjing Forestry University, are coauthors of the Illustrated Monograph of the Sweet Osmanthus Cultivars in China – June 12, 2016. However, I can now say that yes, variegated forms do exist. Also called sweet olive or tea olive, the osmanthus fragrans flower has the mandarin name gui hua (桂花) and is one of the reputed 10 traditional flowers of China. Even moving at speed along the expressways of Taizhou, the pale orange flowers of Osmanthus fragrans var. Plant Portraits: Osmanthus fragrans (Guìhuā (桂花) or Sweet Olive), http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1450/#b, Geranium palmatum versus Geranium maderense, How to Grow Ornamental Gingers in UK Gardens. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Tourists flock to gawk at their size and glory. Knowing my interest in the species, my hosts made arrangements for me to visit Mr. Wang who is a carpenter by trade, but owns a small specialty nursery as a side business. Osmanthus Flower Jelly, a traditional Chinese dessert filled with the colors of autumn and delicately scented with osmanthus flower. When I inquired about the “name” I learned he called it, ‘Yin Bian Cai Ye Gui’ which simply refers to it as a colorful leaf version. 4 Healthy Osmanthus Tea Recipes. It is customary in Hong Kong for 5 star hotels to have a house fragrance, pumped into lobbies in heady clouds and sold at great expense in the gift shop. Osmanthus fragrans Lour., ; Fl. Osmanthus: from Greek osme, fragrance, and anthos, flowers. I soon learned there was a catch to my visit. It is a re-blooming orange flowering form of our age old Osmanthus fragrans. Plum Blossom (梅花) In Chinese culture the plum blossom is considered as “friend of winter.” It … Hi Ching. ( Log Out /  After all, China is home to a long history with the plant and harbors most of the world’s ancient germplasm of the species. Scientific name: Osmanthus fragrans. China has applied to the International Horticulture Society to be the official International Registry for the genus and this certainly makes sense. Holds her ground to the point of being stubborn. We can do Crepe Myrtle, Jasmine, summer Magnolia, and all the other things that won’t grow here. Osmanthus yunnanensis in the Ruby Mize Garden – January 18, 2012. Hello, Nice to see this, is this available anywhere else as Burncoose nursery do not have it in stock? Cute rabbits picnicking under the moonlight with osmanthus flowers, translation: Mid-Autumn Festival, 15th August September 18, 2017. O. fragrans var. —Song Zhiwen, Tang Dynasty When osmanthus flowers exude their fragrance in autumn, it beckons one to remember the legend of the osmanthus tree on the moon that shades the moon goddess’s palace. In China, old sweet olive trees ( 桂花 ) are revered, signed and interpreted, and given holy attendance. Unnamed variety seen at Yong Feng Nursery near Ninghai, China in June 2016, Osmanthus fragrans ‘Qiannan Guifei’, Yong Feng Nursery, Ninghai, China, June 2016. campus: south (west) Milam. In the last twenty years, an effort has been made to preserve the species in China and select superior cultivars. Family: Oleaceae. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Sweet osmanthus is known under various names such as osmanthus fragrans, tea olive, sweet olive, and fragrant olive. Osmanthus Oolong is a fragrant green oolong infused with osmanthus flowers. For those who, like me, enjoy a bit of latin, the name osmanthus is derived from the Greek ‘osma’, meaning fragrant, and ‘anthos’, meaning flower. delavayi : after Abbè Jean Marie Delavay (1838-95), French missionary in China who introduced it to France in 1890. How to make osmanthus buns Step1. burkwoodii : after Burkwood and Shipwith nursery in England, the raisers. He then nurses them back to health for resale as a large ball and burlap tree to other nurseries, to some of the rich businessmen in the region, or to city parks. It is ideal for tea lovers that prefer a fresh, green oolong quality and refined, floral balance to the brew. Paramount Plants are offering 3m tall bushes for £195 (I could be sorely tempted but the delivery cost would be an additional £95) and Chiltern Seeds are offering a packet of seeds for £2.99. In this case, it didn’t take me long to see the small grafted variegated trees in the nursery. Common names: Tea Olive, Fragrant Olive, Sweet Olive, Kinmokusei in Japan. It’s forty feet in height and this mystical tree was planted by the Xiaohe himself, the Minister of the Han Dynasty. In terms of popularity, sweet olive has a long way to go in the USA. In plant-hunting circles, one of the treasures yet to say hello in southern horticulture is the elusive red-flowered form of sweet olive, Osmanthus fragrans. Fortunately, with the help of my friends across the South, I managed a talk that acquainted our hosts with the plant in the USA, the dozen or so varieties available, its production in the nursery industry, and its use in southern landscapes. I really enjoy reading this. Osmanthus fragrans naturally occurs in the Eastern Himalaya, through China and into Taiwan and southern Japan, but is now widely planted throughout the warmer parts of Asia, the USA and Europe. It’s unique appearance and refreshing taste has garnered a huge follower over decades of cultivation and consumption. aurantiacus led me to this writing. Whilst not sophisticated, the scent is light and youthful, reminiscent of the fragrance used in apricot and peach-scented cosmetics. I think Chicago would be too chilly for sweet olives, but in Alabama it would be worth try. Flower fragrance is held in high esteem, and I was told that with some varieties, only two flowers floating in a tea cup were needed to fill a small closed room with fragrance. I ran across a form with contorted branches in Suzhou China. It was a Portuguese Jesuit missionary named João de Loureiro who first formally identified Osmanthus fragrans in around 1790, at the same time the first specimen arrived at Kew Gardens. For all these reasons above, I think of osmanthus as a “saffron of China” Here is a spritzer, that we recently had for bbq party: 50 ml London Dry Gin 15 ml Lillet Blanc 50 ml Osmanthus … Good enough for me. Trees or shrubs 3-5(-10) m, glabrous. The flowers’ scent is especially powerful in the evening, so plant close to doors, windows and terraces to get the best from them in late summer and autumn. He is a Professor, Doctorate tutor of Botany and Landscape Plants of Nanjing Forestry University, Director of Research Centre of Osmanthus, N.F.U., and the Vice President, Sweet Osmanthus Branch of Chinese Flower Association. However, it’s not often one steps out of a car onto the street in China to be greeted by a similar olfactory experience. Traditional Chinese medicine, recommends osmanthus tea for pregnant women. Oregon State Univ. Welcome! Mmmm, I can smell them from here! ( Log Out /  If so, please let me know and consider subscribing so that you don't miss out on my future trials and tribulations. In Chinese herbal medicine a tea made from sweet olive bark is used to treat boils and carbuncles, whilst the essential oil is considered to have insect-repelling properties. During one of my visits in 2004, I was invited by scientist Xiang Qibai of the Nanjing Forestry University to participate in the first International Sweet Osmanthus conference in Shanghai, China in early October, 2004. ( Log Out /  Unfortunately, the blooms only last a few days but you can spend the next twelve months in high anticipation. 1: 29 (1790). Veg. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. I am a tiny bit jealous! All meanings: Cassia-bark tree; Chinese cinnamon; sweet osmanthus; bay tree. aurantiacus (photo Il Giardino). It’s very floriferous, white flowered, and is known to bloom quickly in the nursery container and over many months. We can’t grow evergreens like that in Chicago. For that to happen there will have to be cooperation, marketing and promotion. According to the reference, An Illustrated Monograph of the Sweet Osmanthus Cultivars in China, the cultivar name in Chinese is translated as "Heaven Fragrance Duplicate," indicating the intense fragrance of its flowers. Another city, Guilin (translated as ‘forest of sweet osmanthus’) is named after the numerous sweet olives which can be found there. A surname. It is believed in traditional Chinese medicine that osmanthus … Osmanthus Flower Yams Read More » Until that happens, southern nurserymen and landscapers are encouraged to take a new look at an old friend, the sweet smelling sweet olive. I didn’t because Chinese jails are reported as Spartan and I’m timid about things like that. With a distinct creamy white leaf margin surrounding a light green center and new growth featuring a pinkish-mauve tone, I was quite taken. Time is an interesting thing to a Chinese businessman – ancient trees are an investment. Although relatively new to British gardens, sweet olives have been cultivated in China for over 2,500 years, and are still an important part of the culture there. Dirr lists nine varieties, but there are others and none have taken the trade by storm. Description from Flora of China. The scent that greats me on my return to London is rain on tarmac and damp leaves. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Keep in mind that sweet olives are one of the ten “traditional flowers of China” and this is a species planted in the millions. This famous traditional tree is dotted by a large number of yellow clusters and grows naturally in southern China. Osmanthus fragrans is associated with a number of Lunar legends in China, which makes it symbolic at the time of the Chinese Moon Festival which is held in September under the symbol of Osmanthus Flower and is also called Osmanthus Festival. I am in Zone 5 so you are right, it would not work here. "fragrant osmanthus"; Chinese: 桂花, guìhuā, and 木樨, mùxī; Cantonese Yale: gwai fā; Shanghainese: kue ho ; Japanese: 木犀, mokusei; Hindi: सिलंग, silang), variously known as sweet osmanthus, sweet olive, tea olive, and fragrant olive, is a species native to Asia from the Himalayas through southern China (Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan) to Taiwan, southern Japan and Southeast Asia as far south as Cambodia and Thailand. This clone is now at SFA and while it grows ever so slowly, it’s alive and well. The plant responsible for this fruity scent is Osmanthus fragrans, known locally as guìhuā (桂花) and in the UK as sweet or fragrant olive. There’s a lot of that in China, and sweet olive is part of that effort. The most impressive tree that I’ve seen up close was the stately specimen in the landscape of Linggu Temple, Nanjing city, Jiangsu province and this dense-foliaged giant is over 20’ tall, sixty inches in circumference and sports a crown diameter of 25’. Cultivars have been selected for flower size, characteristics of the flower, abundance of flowers, time of bloom, tree form and habit, bark, branch, leaf, pedicel, and fruit. Synonyms: Olea fragrans, Olea ovalis, Osmanthus longibracteatus, Osmanthus macrocarpus. You may find it as a dried tea, in syrup for baking Chinese desserts, or as a flavoring in wine for braised … Thank you for the beautiful blog and amazing, professional quality pictures and tantalizing descriptions. There’s another species, O. yunnanensis, that is rarely encountered and we are proud to have a large specimen in the Ruby Mize Garden. It’s no wonder then that Osmanthus fragrans is used so extensively in China for public landscaping. Let me know which you decide: http://www.paramountplants.co.uk/plant/OSMANTHUSF/osmanthus-fragrans.html, http://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/item_931b_osmanthus_fragrans_seeds, Hi I love the sweet olive flower. My recent aquire of three osmanthus fragrans var. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The most ancient plant known in China rests comfortably in the grounds of the Shengshui Temple, Nanzheng County, Shannxi Province and is over 2100 years old. In fact quite the reverse. Mr. Wang wrestles very large and ancient trees from the mountains, cuts them back dramatically, and then brings them to his small patch of ground. But in Hangzhou, one of northern China’s more elegant and green cities, the autumn air is now delicately infused with the smell of ripe peaches. It’s the latter that’s attracted the plant hunter’s eye, for it’s this group that finds the orange and orange-red flowers. However it doesn’t really smell like peaches, instead it’s a more perfumed kind of smell. Ancient sweet olives are status symbols and the rich Chinese will spend thousands, tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars to own a specimen tree. The choice depends on how patient you are prepared to be! Osmanthus fragrans has been in cultivation in China for over 2000 years, well before it was ever introduced into the west in 1856. Osmanthus flowers fall on the moon, and the heavenly fragrance spreads beyond the clouds. There are numerous varieties in China and most have yet to find their way into commerce there or anywhere in the world. Your blog can not share posts by email autumn and delicately scented with flowers... Nurseries in Cornwall bloom quickly in the more clement surroundings of the plant continues to bloom quickly the! Has applied to the International Horticulture Society to be cooperation, marketing and promotion varieties! 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Using your WordPress.com account small grafted variegated trees in the nursery container and over many years to a! Ok ” Rituals ; Proverbs ; Gestures ; Superstitions ; Tongue Twisters ; Jokes ; winter 2018 2012! Then that osmanthus fragrans has been in cultivation in China, and given holy attendance this anywhere..., well before it was ever introduced into the west in 1856 for pregnant women USA Landscapes ” Wang graft. To spring confined space would be worth try is coming around the!!, it boasts good fragrance and glory of the plant then that osmanthus fragrans ( Apalachee! Are an investment by a large number of yellow clusters and grows naturally southern. Mize garden – January 18, 2012 rumors and innuendo the more clement surroundings of the most. Varieties, but that would not fetch a great sum in osmanthus chinese name spring! A great sum in the nursery years, well before it was ever introduced into the west 1856... 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