When autumn reminds us of maple, pumpkin spice and falling leaves with breeze, there is another floral plant that resembles the arrival of autumn in eastern Asia — Osmanthus.

What Is Osmanthus?

Osmanthus is an evergreen small to medium-sized shrub or tree native to Asia. This very odd name at first sight is actually a simple explanation of what it is. The name can be broken down into two parts with greed origin: the first part “osme” meaning fragrance, and the second part “anthos” meaning flowers.

 

The plant starts to bloom in late summer when the temperature gradually drops. When the season reaches early autumn, the pungently sweet aroma from its rather inconspicuous flowers immediately catches one’s attention on the street even from a distance. The tiny buds (compared to most other flowering plants) form into clusters on the branches, and can easily attract attention with its refreshing scent and bright color. As a tree commonly planted on roadsides, one can tell that it’s already fully into autumn season when the air is filled with the osmanthus scent.

 

Within its plant variety, Osmanthus has 2 colors: bright orange and yellow with a hint of white. The bright orange ones are usually called “金桂” (golden osmanthus) and the yellow ones are usually called “银桂” (silver osmanthus), resembling their respective color while emphasizing the rarity of golden osmanthus, as the bright orange type bears a sweeter scent.

 

Osmanthus in Asian Culture

Yet why is Osmanthus the signature of autumn in Asian culture? There are many more commonly known flowers that bloom in the fall season, such as Geranium, Saffron and Chrysanthemum, but Osmanthus is the one that stands out with its timing and its easily noticeable scent.

 

Osmanthus usually comes to its full bloom around Mid-Autumn festival, a time when families reunite just like Thanksgiving. As the full moon casts tender light when the night falls, families enjoy the iconic dessert moon cakes with seasonal dishes including taro, edamame and duck soup, while the breeze sends over coolness and the sweet scent of osmanthus. One even called the Moon “桂魄” (the soul of osmanthus) and osmanthus has been continuously associated with the full moon in autumn times.

 

Osmanthus Outside Eastern Asia

Although prominent in eastern Asia, osmanthus is not a commonly recognized plant outside of its native region. Therefore, there is no surprise that the depiction of osmanthus in scented items made by western brands, such as perfumes and scented candles, is quite different from its original scent.

 

Perfumers usually leverage the combination of a fruity ingredient and a floral ingredient. The commonly used fruits are peaches, apricots and pears, which does resemble a refreshing sweetness with a reference to summer and autumn. The floral ingredient is usually jasmine, coupled with tea like yerba mate or other flowers like rose or freesia depending on the balance one wants to achieve. Yet since osmanthus is not a part of the white flower family, the indole in jasmine of freesia is not an intuitive reminder for someone who is familiar with the osmanthus scent. If you ever want to know how the osmanthus actually smells, try incense or scented candles with an asian background!

 

 

As autumn season is approaching (or have already approached for some high latitude locations), osmanthus is coming to its full bloom with the temperature drop. Hope this introduces or reintroduces you to osmanthus, the signature flower of autumn, and you could enjoy such a beautiful sweet floral scent under the full moon. Check out Incense Energize for an extraordinary autumn experience.