Osmanthus fragrans
Sweet Osmanthus is one of the few bonsai capable of filling an entire garden with its fragrance alone — discreet to the eye, overwhelming to the nose.
Native to the temperate regions of East Asia, Osmanthus fragrans is an evergreen shrub that can reach several metres in its natural state. As bonsai, it transforms into a compact, elegant silhouette with opposite, leathery, deep green leaves with a slight lustre. The leaf margins are often finely toothed, adding to the overall visual refinement.
Its flowering is its greatest asset: tiny clustered blooms, cream-white to orange-yellow depending on the cultivar, appear in autumn — generally September to November — and release a sweet, powerful fragrance reminiscent of apricot and vanilla. Some specimens rebloom in spring. The flowers, visually very discreet, nonetheless surpass many showier flowering trees through their olfactory impact.
The wood of osmanthus develops over the years a handsome greyish, slightly wrinkled bark that gives the bonsai a mature and natural character. Its moderate growth makes it a faithful subject, progressing slowly but steadily towards an accomplished silhouette.
Outside southern Europe and regions with mild winters, osmanthus requires winter protection against severe frosts. It is a bonsai of character, rewarding patience with an incomparable olfactory presence in the garden.
Sweet Osmanthus is one of the few bonsai capable of filling an entire garden with its fragrance alone — discreet to the eye, overwhelming to the nose.
Native to the temperate regions of East Asia, Osmanthus fragrans is an evergreen shrub that can reach several metres in its natural state. As bonsai, it transforms into a compact, elegant silhouette with opposite, leathery, deep green leaves with a slight lustre. The leaf margins are often finely toothed, adding to the overall visual refinement.
Its flowering is its greatest asset: tiny clustered blooms, cream-white to orange-yellow depending on the cultivar, appear in autumn — generally September to November — and release a sweet, powerful fragrance reminiscent of apricot and vanilla. Some specimens rebloom in spring. The flowers, visually very discreet, nonetheless surpass many showier flowering trees through their olfactory impact.
The wood of osmanthus develops over the years a handsome greyish, slightly wrinkled bark that gives the bonsai a mature and natural character. Its moderate growth makes it a faithful subject, progressing slowly but steadily towards an accomplished silhouette.
Outside southern Europe and regions with mild winters, osmanthus requires winter protection against severe frosts. It is a bonsai of character, rewarding patience with an incomparable olfactory presence in the garden.