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Osmanthus fragrans

Common name:	Fragrant Olive	Family:	Oleaceae
Author:	Lour.	Botanical references:	11, 58, 200
Synonyms:	Olea fragrans (Thunb.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - China, Japan, Himalayas.
Habitat:	Mountains of S. Japan[58]. 1200 - 2100 metres in the Himalayas[146]. Forests, in association with Ilex dipyrena and Castanopsis spp, at elevations of 1300 - 3000 metres in Nepal[272].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	O. aurantiacus[G] O. fragrans var. aurantiacus[G] O. fragrans var. thunbergii[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Lanhoa [H], Mu Hsi [E], Nd [E], Sweet Osmanthus [P], Yen Kuei [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	fragrans = fragrant
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Scrophulariales. Olive family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	China India

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 6m by 6m . It is hardy to zone 9. It is in leaf all year, in flower from June to August. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Condiment Fruit.

The unripe fruits are preserved in brine like olives[183].
The very fragrant flowers are used by the Chinese to impart a pleasant aroma to tea, wine and sweet dishes such as lotus seed soup, pastries and steamed pears[2, 46, 61, 183]. They are also added to herbal medicines in order to disguise obnoxious flavours[178]. The flowers have a scent of apricots[146].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antitussive.

The flowers are antitussive[218]. They are used in cosmetics for the hair and skin, but are mostly used to flavour other medicines[218].
A decoction of the stem bark is used in the treatment of boils, carbuncles etc[218]. A past made from the stem or bark is used in the treatment of boils, carbuncles, whoping cough and retinitis[272].
A decoction of the lateral roots is used in the treatment of dysmenorrhoea, rheumatism, bruises etc[218].

Other Uses

Essential Repellent.

An essential oil is obtained from the flowers[178]. Used as a flavouring.
The flowers are used as an insect repellent for clothes[146].

Cultivation details

Easily grown in any well-drained soil in sun or part shade[11, 200], but flowering more freely in a sunny position[11]. Thrives in chalky conditions[11]. Dislikes unduly exposed positions[11], and requires shelter from freezing winds[200].
Not very hardy outdoors in Britain[11], it succeeds on a wall in &ndndndnd[1] or in a woodland garden in the milder areas of the country[166].
The flowers are very fragrant[219]. They are sometimes available in oriental stores, preserved in sweetened brine or as a sugary paste called 'cassia blossom jam'[183].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a coldframe[200]. Stored seed probably germinates best if it is given 3 months warm then 3 months cold stratification before sowing[113]. The seed usually takes 6 - 18 months to germinate, it should be pricked out into individual pots when it is large enough to handle. Grow the plants on for their first winter in the greenhouse and plant them out in early summer.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood taken at the end of July, in a frame with bottom heat[11].
Cuttings of almost ripe wood, 7 - 12cm with a heel, September/October in a cold frame. A good percentage. Plant out in the spring 18 months later[78].
Layering in spring[200] or autumn[78]. Partially sever the layer leads in the following late summer and plant out in the autumn. High percentage[78].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers are powerfully scented with a sweet aroma[245].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Olea fragrans (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database

References for the family Oleaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[146] Gamble. J. S. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1972
Written last century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.

[166] Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.

[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[219] Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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