Sweet osmanthus, Sweet olive
Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus

Family: Oleaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 3-12 m tall. The leaves are 7-15 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. There can be fine teeth along the edge. The flowers are small and white, yellow or orange and 1 cm long. The fruit is black and juicy and 10-15 mm across.

There are over 40 Olea species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Cambodia, China, Himalayas, India, Japan, Korea, SE Asia, Taiwan, Thailand

How it is used for food

The flowers are used to give scent to Chinese Chulan tea.

Edible parts

Flowers - flavouring

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Fragrant olive, Tea olive

Synonyms

Olea fragrans Thunb.; Osmanthus aurantiacus (Makino) Nakai;