Sweet olive, Sweet Osmanthus, Fragrant Olive
Osmanthus fragrans

Family: Oleaceae

What it is like

An evergreen shrub or small tree. It grows 3-5 m high and sometimes to 10 m high. The leaf stalk is 0.8-2 cm long. The leaf blade is narrowly oval and 5-9 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. It is leathery. The base is broadly rounded or wedge shaped and it narrows to a long tip. There are often teeth along the top edge. The veins are raised underneath. The flowers are in the axils of leaves. There are many flowers in a group. They are yellowish or orange. The flowers have a sweet scent. The fruit is a fleshy fruit with a hard covering over the seed. The fruit is purple black and oval. It is 1-1.5 cm across.

There are about 15-30 Osmanthus species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate to subtropical plant. It grows in S China. In Pakistan it grows in the temperate Himalayas between 1,200-2,200 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 7-11. Melbourne Botanical gardens. Kyneton Botanical Gardens. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, China (country/location of origin), Hawaii, Himalayas (country/location of origin), India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, SE Asia, Singapore, Slovenia, Taiwan, Tasmania, Thailand, USA, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The flowers have been used for scenting tea. They are also used to flavour wines, liqueurs, and sweets such as lotus seed soup, pastries and steamed pears. The unripe fruit are preserved in brine like olives. The fruit are eaten.

It is a well known spice plant. It is often cultivated for the perfume of the flowers.

Edible parts

Fruit, flowers, flowers - tea

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from half hardened cuttings.

Its other names

Local names

Dišeči oljkovec, Gui flower, Guihua, Kwai-fah, Kwei-hua, Mu xi, Pohon teh zaitun, Shiling, Silang, Thanlwin-thi, Tree Rhinoceros, Tungrung, Usugi-mokusei

Synonyms

Olea fragrans Thunb. ex Murray; Notelaea posua D. Don; Olea posua D. Don; Olea buchananii D. Don; Olea acuminata Wall. ex G. Don.; Olea acuminata var. longifolia DC.; Olea ovalis Miquel; Osmanthus longibracteatus H.T.Chang; Osmanthus macrocarpus P.Y.Bai;