Osmanthus fragrans, variously known as sweet osmanthus, is a species native to Asia. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens in Asia, Europe, North America for its fragrant flowers which carry the scent of ripe peaches or apricots.
Osmanthus fragrans is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing to 3–12 m (9.8–39.4 ft) tall. The leaves are 7–15 cm (2.8–5.9 in) long and 2.6–5 cm (1.0–2.0 in) broad, with an entire or finely toothed margin. The flowers are white, pale yellow, yellow, or orange-yellow, small, about 1 cm (0.39 in) long, with a four-lobed corolla 5 mm (0.20 in) diameter, and have a strong fragrance; they are produced in small clusters in the late summer and autumn. The fruit is a purple-black drupe 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in) long containing a single hard-shelled seed; it is mature in the spring about six months after flowering. In China, it is the "city flower" of the cities of Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Guilin. In Japan, it is the "city tree" of Kitanagoya, Aichi Prefecture, and the "town tree" of Yoshitomi, Fukuoka Prefecture.
