Sweet Olive
Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus
キンモクセイ
Oleaceae
Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus is a Chinese evergreen shrub
Edible Container Wildlife value: medium Maintenance: low shrub
Planting calendar (Tokyo baseline)
Pick a region in the header to shift the window.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planting | ||||||||||||
| Flowering | ||||||||||||
| Fruiting |
Tokyo baseline: months 3, 4, 9
Growing requirements
| Light | sun → part shade |
|---|---|
| Water | medium |
| Soil | well-drained loam, slightly acidic to neutral |
| Hardiness | Tokyo lowland |
| Container | Yes · Min container size: 30 L |
| Maintenance | low |
| Common issues | scale insects (treat in spring before bud break) |
Where to source
Seedlings, divisions, or seed. Native plant suppliers in Japan are the right starting point.
- Search Japanese suppliers for seedlings · native-plant suppliers
About this plant
Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus is a Chinese evergreen shrub
or small tree, introduced to Japan during the Edo period.
Functionally only male clones exist in Japan — so no fruit, but
that is far from the point. For a few days each autumn the
visually unremarkable orange flower clusters fill suburban Tokyo
with a famously sweet, peach-apricot scent. Easy on any sunny,
free-draining soil; trim to size after flowering.
Usage
Hedge, specimen, large container. Standard placement is by an
entrance or window so the autumn scent reaches the house.
Practical info
| Native | No |
|---|---|
| Edible | Yes |
| Edible parts | flowers (cured in syrup as 桂花蜜 or used in liqueur 桂花陳酒) |
| Wildlife value | medium |
| Attracts |
|
You might also try
Cosine similarity over the attribute vector — plants with comparable light/water/life-form profiles.
- Shiso (Perilla) Perilla frutescens 88%
- Flowering quince (boke) Chaenomeles speciosa 84%
- Five-leaf Akebia Akebia quinata 78%
- Solomon's seal Polygonatum odoratum 76%
- Japanese Aucuba Aucuba japonica 74%
Sources
Primary references, publications, and observation data this page draws on. How sources are picked is described in About the data .
- 東京都建設局 街路樹データ
- Catalog editor (niwa, 2026-05)