Osmanthus fragrans tea flowers gui hua tea
LATIN NAME: OSMANTHUS FRAGRANS
COMMON NAME: Sweet Osmanthus, Fragrant Olive, Gui Hua
The sweet osmanthus is one of the most fragrant of the shrubs of the warm gardens, and its tiny flowers fill the autumn air with their rich, apricot-like scent. It grows as a dense, evergreen shrub or a small tree, reaching up to five metres or more, with upright, branching stems bearing opposite, oval, pointed, finely toothed, glossy, dark-green leaves and, in the autumn, small clusters of tiny, four-lobed flowers, in the white, the golden-yellow or the orange forms, which are intensely and sweetly fragrant, and are followed, in the warm gardens, by the small, oval, purple-black fruits. It is a species of the flowering shrub in the olive family, native to the warm hills of eastern Asia, while it is grown for its fragrance, its glossy foliage and its long history of use in the region, and it is known as the sweet osmanthus.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The sweet osmanthus has a genuine and distinguished place in research. It has been studied in the chemistry of the fragrances, since the tiny flowers of the sweet osmanthus are among the most fragrant of the flowers of the garden, and the researchers have examined the many fragrant compounds of the flowers, while the chemistry of the osmanthus fragrance has drawn attention in the international perfumery and botanical press, and the study of the fragrant flowers has been of continuing interest across the world. The plant has also been studied in the traditional use and the food science, since the tiny, fragrant flowers have a very long history of use in the traditional ways of eastern Asia, in the teas, the sweets and the perfumes, and the researchers have examined the flowers and their uses, while the sweet osmanthus is best appreciated as a fragrant shrub and a subject of study rather than a casual remedy, and the golden flowers are prized in the kitchens and the tea houses of the region. The species has also been studied in botany and horticulture, since it is a native of the warm hills of eastern Asia, and its many forms, its relationships and its cultivation have been examined, while the glossy, evergreen shrub and its autumn fragrance have made it one of the most loved of the shrubs of the warm garden. For a shrub of such fragrance, the sweet osmanthus has a rich and distinguished record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
To grow the Sweet Osmanthus from seed, ecologically, the sweet osmanthus is a generous shrub of the garden. Its tiny, four-lobed flowers feed the bees and the insects through the autumn, and its small, oval, purple-black fruits feed the birds, while its dense, glossy, evergreen growth gives a fine cover and a shelter to the birds through the year, and its fragrance fills the air of the garden. Its economic value is real: the sweet osmanthus is prized for its fragrance, and its tiny, golden flowers have a long history of use in the teas, the sweets and the perfumes of the region, while its value has drawn attention in the international perfumery and botanical press, and the glossy, evergreen shrub is one of the most loved of the shrubs of the warm garden. To raise the sweet osmanthus, sow the fresh seeds in pots of gritty, free-draining compost in a shaded spot, keep them gently watered, and grow the little trees on in the light.
sow the fresh seeds in pots of gritty, free-draining compost in a shaded spot, keep the young osmanthus gently watered, and grow the little trees on in the light.
LATIN NAME: Osmanthus fragrans
COMMON NAME: Sweet Osmanthus, Sweet Olive, Tea Olive, Fragrant Olive
The sweet osmanthus is one of the most beloved of the Chinese flowering trees, and its small, cream or golden flowers carry one of the finest scents of the plant world. It grows as an evergreen shrub or small tree, reaching up to ten metres, with a dense, rounded crown of glossy, dark-green, oval leaves and, in the autumn, the many small, tubular, white, cream or golden flowers, borne in small clusters in the leaf axils and filling the air with their sweet, apricot-like perfume, followed by the small, dark-blue fruits. It is a species of the olive family, native to Asia, from the Himalayas through China to Japan and Southeast Asia, and in China it grows in the provinces of Guizhou, Sichuan, Hainan and Yunnan, while it is a historic tree of the Chinese gardens, valued for its autumn fragrance for a very long time.
The sweet osmanthus belongs to the olive family, Oleaceae, and it is a species of flowering plant native to Asia, from the Himalayas through China to Japan and Southeast Asia, where it grows in the provinces of Guizhou, Sichuan, Hainan and Yunnan. In English it is known as the sweet osmanthus, the sweet olive, the tea olive or the fragrant olive, and it is prized for its small, fragrant flowers.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The sweet osmanthus has a genuine and distinguished place in both chemical and horticultural research. It has been studied in chemistry and in the research on the natural aromas, since the flowers carry one of the finest scents of the plant world, and researchers have examined the essential oil of the flowers, its many compounds and their use in the perfumery and the flavouring, while the fragrant oil of the osmanthus has been a treasured ingredient in the perfumes and the teas of the East for a very long time, and the scent of the osmanthus has drawn attention in the international perfume and food press as a beloved autumn fragrance. The tree has also been studied in horticulture, since it is a historic tree of the Chinese gardens, and researchers have examined its many cultivated varieties, its growth and its flowering, while the golden and the silver forms of the osmanthus have been examined, and its use in the gardens of the temperate world has been examined. The species has also been studied in botany, since it is a member of the olive family, and its classification and its relationships have been examined. For a tree of such fragrance, the sweet osmanthus has a rich and distinguished record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the sweet osmanthus is a generous tree of the autumn garden. Its small, fragrant flowers feed the bees and the insects of the late season, and its glossy foliage gives cover, while it is a historic presence in the gardens and the villages of China.
Its economic value is real and historic. The fragrant flowers are used to scent the teas, to flavour the sweets and to distil the precious essential oil, and the scent of the osmanthus has drawn attention in the international perfume and food press as a beloved autumn fragrance, while the tree is also a prized plant of the gardens of the temperate world. For a grower, the sweet osmanthus is a rewarding and historic tree, and for a gardener it brings glossy foliage and a cloud of autumn fragrance. The seeds need a spell of cold and a little patience — keep them in damp compost in the fridge for about three months, then sow them in a pot of moist, free-draining compost in a warm, sunny or lightly shaded spot, and theyll sprout slowly, growing on into a fragrant, glossy-leaved tree.
Description Chinese Name: Gui hua Medical Name: Latin Name: Osmanthus fragrans Origin: Taste: Sweet Quotes from Chinese historical sources: THE BOOK OF TEA, MING DYNASTY, 1592AD: "The flowers of osmanthus, jasmine, rose, rose multiflora, orchid, lotus, tangerine, gardenia and wintersweet can all be used in tea. Pick the blossoms when they are just opening, so that the stamens retain all their aroma. Mix them with tea leaves, one part flowers to three of tea. Taste of Tea: Osmanthus Tea has a bright and light yellow colour with a pure and fresh and quietly elegant fragrance. Chinese Tea Description: Osmanthus Tea remain green thoughout the year. They are a mass of branches and leaves and blossom in autumn. When the flowers are in full bloom, they are like stars in the sky, and the fragrance makes one feel complete freedom of heart and ease of spirit as if he/she is in a wonderland. A poet named Song Zhi Wen from the Tang Dynasty quoted "sweet-scented osmanthus seeds fell on the Moon as its fragrance in the sky was wafted through the clouds". This product selects top quality raw materials. The shape of the flowers is complete, the colour golden and the fragrance strong. Tea Storage: Stores Osmanthus Tea in a cool and dry place where there is no direct sunlight. Tea Brewing Guide: Use 2-3 Osmanthus Tea and brew with boiling water. Can also be brewed with other Flower Teas and Tea Leaves Health Benefits of Tea: Efficacious for treating "Yin"deficiency, nourishing kidney, regulating endocrine, taking good caring of the liver and stomach, letting out toxin and nourishing one's looks.