As the hottest part of summer tapers away towards warm and sunny days of September, I genuinely look forward to sweet osmanthus season in the garden! Sweet osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans) or 桂花 guìhuā in Chinese is the most classic and revered type of osmanthus in China. It has stood as the emblem of nobility and class since time immemorial. The guì of guìhuā is a homophone for noble or distinguished.

In fact, when a civilian passed their civil service examination in ancient China, they were bestowed with a sprig of osmanthus to signify their new noble rank. Likewise, our Lan Su docents are gifted a sash with an osmanthus pin on it when they become a guide, which is a beautiful reminder of their hard-earned certification. 

The sweet osmanthus may have teeny-tiny flowers, but each one packs an odiferous punch! They bloom in clusters along the branch and often bloom over an extended period (weather dependent, but usually several weeks). That means you have the warm, apricot-like scent wafting through the garden for quite some time!

There is also a great mythological tie to the moon with sweet osmanthus. There is a legend that there is a large osmanthus tree on the moon and an immortal named Wu Gang 吴刚 is banished there to chop down the tree. The tree, however, is self-healing and thus the task is never completed. Poor Wu, destined to an eternity of chopping against an equally immortal tree. In Chinese Mid-Autumn lore, there is also a jade rabbit who lives on the moon. As such, it is not uncommon to see rabbits paired with blooming sweet osmanthus in Chinese art.

We have two Osmanthus fragrans trees at Lan Su, but many more types of osmanthus including Osmanthus x fortunei, Osmanthus x burkwoodii, Osmanthus delayavi, Osmanthus rotundifolius, Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Sasaba’ and Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Variegatus.’ All bloom at slightly different times, allowing us to enjoy their sweet fragrance throughout fall and into winter.

During my time in China, I would always decorate my mother-in-law’s birthday cake with fresh orange osmanthus flowers since her birthday always fell within peak-bloom time. A sweet memory, not just because of the cake, but because seeing the blooms at Lan Su always reminds me of family and my Chinese “hometown.” 

I hope you enjoy the guìhuā and see you in the garden!