Osmanthus - how to grow at home. Properties and description of scented tea with osmanthus Fragrant osmanthus

Fragrant osmanthus is an evergreen shrub, rarely a tree 3‒12 m high in its natural habitat and 80‒300 cm high in cultivation. Like the others, thin branched shoots are covered with milky green at a young age and dark brown at maturity bark. The leaves are simple, opposite. Leaf blades 7–15 cm long, 2.6–5 cm wide. The edge of the leaf blade is entire or serrated. The color is mostly dark green, the surface is glossy, leathery.

ON THE PICTURE: Osmanthus is fragrant.

The flowers are small, collected in bunches. The color is white, pale yellow, yellow or yellow-orange. The aroma is intense, depending on the variety, it resembles or. The fruit is an ovoid drupe 10–15 cm long, with a dense dark purple skin. The single seed of the fruit fully matures six months after the start of flowering.

Active substances and medicinal properties

Fragrant Osmanthus flowers contain calcium, magnesium, vitamin C. Due to the high content of natural antioxidants, their decoction neutralizes toxins and radionuclides.

Active substances of the essential oil of fragrant Osmanthus:

• gamma de calactone;
• cis-jasmone;
• dihydro-beta-ionone and beta-ionone;
• terpinen-4-ol;
• chemical compounds of linalool oxide isomers;
• geraniol;
• linalool;
• phenethyl alcohol.

These active ingredients have sedative, expectorant, immunostimulating and anti-inflammatory properties. They also lower the level of cholesterol in the blood, are effective for the prevention of sclerosis and alleviate its manifestations.

plant parts used

Healing roots, bark and flowers. A decoction of root offspring is useful for dysmenorrhea, rheumatism, hematomas and bruises. A decoction of the bark is used for the panacea of ​​carbunculosis and furunculosis.

A multifunctional healing decoction of fragrant Osmanthus flowers is drunk as a medicinal tea, used as a compress, rubbing, hair rinse, and washing liquid. The essential oil is obtained from the flowers of the plant.

Collected flowers are dried in a shady place and stored in paper bags. The raw material is usable for two years.

Indications for use

It is recommended to drink an infusion or decoction of the flowers of the plant for colds, indigestion, inflammation of the duodenum, many stomach diseases, flatulence and colitis. It lowers the level of cholesterol in the body. Taking a decoction of the flowers of the plant helps to cleanse the body of toxins, lose weight, and normalize blood flow.

Due to the anesthetic action, fragrant Osmanthus reduces toothache, painful manifestations of stomatitis, inflammation of the gums, and cystitis. A decoction of its flowers reduces hangover, has a positive effect on the menstrual cycle, and facilitates the course of inflammatory diseases of the female reproductive organs.

Black tea with dried Osmanthus inflorescences is indicated for normalizing cell metabolism, removing heavy metals, toxins and radionuclides from the body. Green tea with Osmanthus has an anti-aging and tonic effect.

Compresses from a decoction of Osmanthus flowers are recommended for skin and eye diseases. Rinsing with decoction improves the condition of weakened brittle hair. Essential oil is used exclusively outwardly , mainly for aromatherapy purposes: to calm the nervous system and relax.

Application methods

Internal:

Body intoxication - wash 5 g of oolong tea with boiling water. Pour a cup of hot water, add 1 g of dried crushed fragrant Osmanthus flowers. Infuse for three minutes, cool and take.

Low vitality, weakness - prepare a medicinal drink according to the recipe described above, but using green tea.

Cold - place 10 g of crushed dried Osmanthus flowers in an enamel bowl, pour 200 ml. hot water, cover with a lid, warm in a water bath for half an hour. then refrigerate for 10 minutes. at room temperature, strain, squeeze out raw materials and dilute the infusion to 200 ml. boiled water. The resulting decoction can be drunk, gargled with it and instilled in the nose with rhinitis.

External:

Furuncles, carbuncles, abscesses - 1‒2 tbsp. l. crushed bark of fragrant Osmanthus or dry young shoots pour 200 ml. boiling water and heated in a hot bath under a lid for 15 minutes. Cool for 45 minutes, then filter and squeeze the raw material. Bring the volume of infusion to 200 ml. chilled boiled water. After that, the bandage is moistened with tincture and a therapeutic compress is made.

Precautionary measures

Preparations based on fragrant Osmanthus are not used for epilepsy, high blood pressure. It is not recommended to drink tea with Osmanthus during pregnancy and lactation. Also, it is not given to children under 12 years of age.

Osmanthus is named for the intense aroma of the flowers. Osme in Greek means "fragrant", anthos - "flower".

Description

Evergreen shrubs and trees 2–12 m high in their natural environment. In horticultural culture, Osmanthuses usually do not exceed 3–4 m., when kept in a container, they grow up to 1 m.

In representatives of the genus, the shrub form of growth predominates. The root system is powerful, branched, and develops quite quickly. The stems are thin, covered with creamy green bark, which then turns dark brown.

The crown is dense, rounded, compact. The arrangement of leaves on the branches is opposite.

ON THE PICTURE:The crown of the shrub form Osmanthus Burkwood (Osmanthus x burkwoodii).

The leaves are oblong or ovate, entire, serrated or sharp-toothed. The surface of the leaf blades is dense, leathery. Leaves are reddish when young. As they mature, they become bright green or dark green with a white border.

Many species and varieties of Osmanthus are distinguished by unusual foliage colors. For example, the leaves of Osmanthus heterophyllus "Purpureus" are green-purple. In the cultivar of the same variety "Goshiki" leaf blades are decorated with "marble" spots of pink, yellow, orange and white.

Inflorescences corymbose, axillary. They appear in spring, summer or autumn, depending on the type and variety of the plant.

ON THE PICTURE: Flowering variety Osmanthus fragrant Osmanthus fragrans var aurantiacus.

The flowers are tubular, up to 1 cm long. The color is snow-white, reddish or yellow-orange. The aroma emitted by flowers resembles.

The fruit is an elliptical drupe 10–15 cm long, with one seed. The shell of the fruit is dense and hard. The color varies from dark blue to purple.

ON THE PICTURE:Osmanthus during fruiting.

Popular varieties and varieties

In areas with a high continental climate, in the Urals, in Siberia and the Leningrad Region, frost-resistant Osmanthus Fortune is popular. (Osmanthus x fortunei). It tolerates frosts down to -15°C without shelter. In addition to hardiness, Osmanthus Fortune is attractive with lush white inflorescences of 10 flowers. They appear in late summer and autumn.

ON THE PICTURE:Unpretentious and winter-hardy Osmanthus Fortuna.

Osmanthus Burkwood and Osmanthus Delaway (Osmanthus delavayi) 90-180 cm high. Great for creating medium and low heights. They also often grow in flower beds, favorably emphasizing the aesthetics of other flowering plants.

ON VIDEO:Delaway Osmanthus, also called Chinese Osmanthus.

Osmanthus variety 'Variegatus' is popular for its autumn blooms and ornamental leaves with a creamy white stripe.

ON THE PICTURE:Cultivar variety Osmanthus heterophyllus "Variegatus".

A cultivar of the same species "Gulftide", with glossy, single-coloured, oval-toothed leaves and snow-white flowers, is ideal for decorating gardens and streetscapes in a classic style.

Varieties of Osmanthus "Goshiki" and "Purpureus" are grown in winter gardens, spacious residential and public buildings.

ON THE PICTURE: One of the most interesting variegated varieties of Osmanthus, "Goshiki".

Both varieties are compact, up to 1 m tall, retain their decorative effect with little shading.

ON THE PICTURE:Kinmokusei cultivar 'Purpureus'.

Varieties of fragrant Osmanthus "Latifolius", "Minrix", "Fudingzhu" are also suitable for container growing.

cultivation

Outdoors:

To grow Osmanthus in the garden, you need a sheltered, slightly shaded area with enough diffused light, protected from strong winds. The shrub will also endure a dense shade, but the lack of sun will negatively affect its decorative effect and flowering.

ON THE PICTURE: This variegated specimen needs more light than greenleaf cultivars. Photo by Milan Havlis.

Osmanthuses are undemanding to the ground, but grow best on neutral soils with a pH of 6.6–7.0 or slightly acidic soils with a pH of 5.0–6.0. Nutritious loams are preferred. Drainage is required to remove excess moisture.

In group plantings, Osmanthus are placed at a distance of at least 120 cm between specimens. Freshly planted bushes or trees are watered regularly and moderately so that the root system takes root and the soil "lies down". Further, you can limit yourself to moistening the soil and irrigating the outer part of the plant during a drought.

Street Osmanthuses are fertilized with universal complex dressings annually or every two years. Fertilizer is placed above the root zone, after which it is abundantly watered. A layer of compost is sometimes used as a long-term top dressing: it is also laid over the soil around the roots of Osmanthus.

In a container:

To grow Osmanthus indoors, you need to prepare a spacious tub for it. After laying out the drainage container from expanded clay, pebbles or terracotta to the bottom of the container, any ready-made substrate for decorative foliage houseplants is poured there. After planting the specimen, the container is placed in a lighted place with slight shading.

Osmanthus is suitable for a moderately warm content at + 18‒20 ° C during the active growing season and at + 10 ° C during the dormant period, during the cold months. Usually one watering per week is enough. During dormancy, watering is minimal so that the earthen ball with roots does not dry out. When the air in the room is dry in the summer heat or during intensive operation of heating devices, the plant is sprayed from a spray bottle.

Indoor shrub or tree is fertilized in the spring. For Osmanthus, complex fertilizers with a high content of iron and sulfur are optimal. It also benefits organics.

If buds have begun to be laid on Osmanthus, you can fertilize it with top dressing for flowering plants: this will make flowering lush and long. During winter dormancy, it is not fertilized.

Diseases and pests

Osmanthus is not susceptible to diseases and pests. When planting on alkaline soils, it can get sick. Sometimes it gets sick with other bacterial and fungal infections, in which fungicides help:,.

ON THE PICTURE:Yellowing and drying of the leaves, withering of the flowers of Osmanthus americana ( Osmanthus americanus) in the photo may be the result of a bacterial lesion.

If the soil is too wet, the risk of fungal infection increases. In case of infection, the plant is urgently transplanted with the removal of damaged root hairs.

Occasionally they start on Osmanthus,. Nematocide and are used against them.

reproduction

Cuttings:

It is recommended to cut Osmanthuses in August. Stem or apical cuttings 7–12 cm long, taken with a "heel", are processed with a growth stimulator, for example, Kornevin or Epin-Extra. Then they take root in a peat-sandy substrate under glass, in greenhouse conditions.

ON THE PICTURE:For grafting, the material taken during the forming pruning is suitable.

It is important to regularly and abundantly water the shoots placed for germination. After two weeks, the first roots should appear. To better control this process, you can root the cuttings in transparent containers.

Reproduction by layering:

Produced in autumn. One or three flexible young branches of Osmanthus bend down to the ground. In the place of contact of the future layer with the ground, grooves or pits are dug. Then it is partially filled with nutrient soil mixed with sand. A peg is driven into the edge of a hole or groove.

On selected branches, leaves are removed, the bark is slightly incised. After processing the cuts with a growth stimulator, the middle of the branch is attached to the bottom of the groove with flyers, and the tip of the shoot is tied to a peg. Then the groove is filled with moistened and loosened soil to the top. Soil moisture is maintained constantly.

If the branch was planted in the soil entirely, horizontally, more planting material can be obtained. With arched fixation of the shoot, the layering is usually one.

In spring, the earth is raked, cuttings are cut from the mother Osmanthus and planted in a permanent place.

ON THE PICTURE:A young specimen of the Osmanthus variety "Sasaba".

From seeds:

Growing Osmanthus from seeds is rarely practiced due to technical complexity. Even scarification does not guarantee seed germination. It is usually "woken up" by treatment with sulfuric, nitric or sulfate acid at a temperature of +10°C, soaking for 80 minutes. You can bring the seed out of dormancy by hot and cold stratification alternately: for three months in both modes.

After processing, the seed is placed in a peat-sand substrate, germinated in a warm, lit place. Shoots appear after 6-18 months. Seedlings can be transplanted only after the development of several pairs of true leaves. The first winter, young Osmanthuses from seeds are carried out indoors, in summer they are planted in open ground.

First steps after purchase

The purchased Osmanthus is once again inspected for damage by pests and diseases. In order to protect other plants in the garden or indoor collection from them, it is worth keeping the new Osmanthus in quarantine for several days.

At the slightest suspicion of infection, it is better to treat the plant with insecticide and fungicide.

Success Secrets

On open air:

For full flowering, a decorative thick and developed crown of Osmanthus, sanitary and formative pruning is necessary.

ON THE PICTURE: Classical pruning has created an aesthetic hedge of fragrant Osmanthus.

The right time for pruning is determined by the flowering time of the species. For example, Fortune's Osmanthus, which blooms in late summer and autumn, is pruned in spring, and Burkwood's spring-blooming Osmanthus in summer, after flowering has ended.

When pruning, it is important to remove not only old, lost decorative and dry branches, but also shoots growing in the center of the bush, as well as strong growths. If the base of an aging Osmanthus is bare or the bush has fallen apart with the opening of the center, the stems are shortened to 45-60 cm above the soil level.

Before the coming frosts, young plants and non-hardy species are covered with spruce branches or lutrasil. It is especially important to protect newly appeared branches from the cold.

Indoors:

To make the crown symmetrical, Osmanthus is periodically turned to the light source with all parts. In the warm season, at temperatures up to +25°C, it is recommended to place a container with Osmanthus on an open balcony or loggia.

ON THE PICTURE: "Walks" in the fresh air will strengthen the health of a houseplant.

If the air temperature rises above + 25 ° C, the plant is moved to the shade and sprayed. Indoors, on a loggia or balcony, Osmanthus is protected from drafts.

Possible difficulties

Elongated shoots and faded leaves.

Cause: lack of sunlight.

Poor and undecorative flowering.

Causes:

1. lack of nutrients in the soil.
2. short daylight hours.

The absence of flowers.

Causes:

1. temperature violation.
2. lack of lighting.
3. rare supplements.

The content of the article:

Osmanthus (Osmanthus) in translation from Greek is a fragrant flower. In China, it has a different name - kinmokusei, tea or fragrant olive. With this decorative, exotic shrub, beauty connoisseurs decorate their homes both inside and in gardens near the house. When it blooms, everything around is filled with a very delicate, delicate aroma. In addition, the plant has not only decorative use. Its bark, leaves and flowers are used for health promotion, culinary, cosmetic and perfume purposes.

Osmanthus is loved in different countries. Each country has its own traditions and legends associated with kimonkusei. The bush has long been a symbol of love in Taiwan. According to custom, after the wedding, the bride brings home grown osmanthus and pomegranate. The fragrant shrub is a symbol of faithful and long love, and the fruit plant is a symbol of peace and fertility. This gift of the bride means that she will love, respect her husband, and give birth to beautiful children for him. No less traditional and ancient holiday in China and Vietnam is the national holiday of the full moon. Osmanthus is a symbol of eternal life. The holiday is celebrated in September, when the bush begins to bloom. On this holiday, families traditionally gather together. People walk all night long, admire the moon, enjoy yuebin mooncakes, in which bush flower petals are added.

A bush or tree of kinmokuseya in its natural environment reaches up to 18 meters in height. The flowers are collected in small inflorescences, bisexual, have both male and female characters. May be yellowish, reddish, reddish shades. Corollas of flowers are tubular, quadripartite. Fruits 10–14 mm - similar to small olives. Leaves on a short stalk, pointed at the top. In the conditions of city apartments, the bush can grow up to two meters in height.

Osmanthus is widespread in Asia and the Caucasus. It was brought to Europe in the 19th century by the French botanist Jean Marie Delaway. This is a plant from the evergreen genus of the olive family. The genus includes approximately thirty species. Some of the varieties:

• Osmanthus Berkwood, characterized by an abundance of fragrant flowers, appear in the second half of spring.
• Delaway osmanthus, white flowers grow on arched branches that bloom all summer.
• Osmanthus fortuna, flowers are collected in small clusters, small teeth on the leaves.
• Fragrant Osmanthus, cream, yellow and golden flowers, broad leaves, blooms all spring and autumn.
• Osmanthus is variegated, it has inconspicuous white flowers, leaves with edges of different colors.
• Osmanthus is small-serrated, has straight branches, oval leaves.

The use of osmanthus in various fields

• Application in medicine. For the treatment of carbuncles and furunculosis, a decoction of kinmokusei bark is used in medicine. A tincture from the roots of the plant is used to treat dysmenorrhea, rheumatism, bruises, etc. Essential oils are made from flowers. This oil is added to improve the taste in herbal medicines. Osmanthus buds are used to make medicines that help with coughs and whooping cough. It is a natural antiseptic that relieves sore throat with sore throat. It is widely used in the form of lotions and tinctures for various diseases.
• Cosmetic use. Osmanthus essential oil is widely used in cosmetology. The oil has nourishing, moisturizing, soothing, generating, anti-inflammatory properties, it can activate the skin to natural self-healing. It is very concentrated and penetrates into the deepest layers of the epidermis, so it smoothes out even deep wrinkles. Kinmokusei oil is used in the production of expensive face and body creams, masks and hair shampoos. Means is applied to the aging, withering, skin. The oil also treats skin prone to acne and inflammation. Shampoos and masks are very effective for dry, brittle hair.
• Osmanthus in perfumery. Kinmokusei essential oil is a favorite of perfumers. It has a complex chemical formula. The smell is pleasantly sweet with subtle hints of fruit and leather aromas. It is included in very expensive perfumes of various brands, which are in great demand among perfume connoisseurs. Osmanthus oil is used as a clothing repellant. It can also be poured into aroma lamps during aromatherapy sessions.
• Application in cooking. The flowers of the plant are used to flavor black and green teas. Tea not only acquires a delicate and delicate aroma, but also has beneficial properties. The use of such tea has a tonic and invigorating effect on the body, normalizes the work of the pancreas, and improves digestion. Osmanthus fruits taste like olives, only smaller in size. They are pickled and eaten. Shrub flowers are added to various fillings and creams for cakes, pies, muffins. They make sauces and soups. Cook jams and jams. Used in the manufacture of alcoholic beverages: liquor and wine.

Growing kinmokusei in household plots

For outdoor cultivation, osmanthus is suitable for countries with warmer winter climates. In colder winters, the plant dies.

The composition of the soil can be varied, both sandy and alkaline soils are excellent. At the time of planting, several kilograms of compost must be put into the recess.

Both after planting and every spring, you need to water the soil with liquid fertilizers. Watering should be plentiful, for the formation of a good root system. To form a beautiful, green crown, after flowering, the bush is pruned.

Growing osmanthus indoors

Kimonkusei is grown indoors as a miniature ornamental tree. Rarely blooms indoors. Basically, its crown is trimmed for a beautiful decorative look.

For planting and better development, a small capacity is needed. The container is filled with a mixture of turf, humus and sand.

Kimonkusei is placed in a bright place in the room. In summer, it must be taken out to the balcony. In winter, it is kept at a temperature of 10–12 degrees Celsius.

In summer, the tree is watered abundantly, in winter watering is reduced. During the growing season, be sure to fertilize with universal top dressing.

The plant can be propagated by both seeds and cuttings.

The prepared seed material is sown in a moistened substrate. The soil is prepared in equal proportions of turf, humus and sand. Seeds germinate for quite a long time, from six to twelve or more months. A year later, at the beginning of summer, young seedlings are transplanted into open ground.

When cutting from a strengthened bush, during the vegetative period of September-October, young apical cuttings are cut off at a distance of 8–13 centimeters in length. The branches are deepened into the prepared soil mixture of turf, peat and sand. Pots with cuttings are placed in the room, and kept at a temperature of up to twenty degrees Celsius. After about a month, new roots begin to appear. When the sprouts take root, in the spring, after a year and a half, they need to be transplanted into separate containers.

Possible osmanthus diseases, pests and control methods

The most common disease seen on the kinmokusei is viral spotting. Honey mushroom causes rotting of the root system of the plant. Insect pests that most often annoy the kinmokusei are scale insects and mealybugs.
The most common shrub disease is viral spotting. Asymmetric, dark spots appear on the leaf plates, the edges of the leaves can curl, the osmanthus stops developing. Basically, the carriers of the disease are insects. It is extremely difficult to fight with the help of chemicals, therefore, they fight against insects - vectors of viruses. Sick leaves are cut and destroyed. Cuttings from diseased plants are not taken for propagation. Disinfection of inventory, steaming of planting material, or its replacement in containers.

A pest that affects the root system of a plant is honey agaric. It causes rotting of osmanthus roots. The difficulty lies in the fact that the disease cannot be diagnosed in the early stages, and it develops imperceptibly, as it begins underground. Mostly infected bushes die. Immediate measures must be taken to disinfect the land to prevent infection of other plants in the garden.

The most common types of osmanthus

• Berkwood Osmanthus. Grows in China and the Caucasus. Reaches a height of up to 2 meters. Considered a rare species. It is distinguished by an abundance of fragrant flowers that appear in the second half of spring. The leaves of the shrub are glossy, dark emerald in color.
• Osmanthus delaway. Reaches a height of up to 1.8 meters. On arcuate branches grow elongated dark, green leaves. The shrub blooms profusely all summer, with white tubular flowers.
• Stretches to a height of up to 7 meters. The leaves of the shrub are elongated, have small teeth along the edges. Flowers are collected in small clusters. Likes cooler climates. Blooms at intervals of 9 months to a year.
• It can grow up to 6 meters in height. It blooms almost all spring and autumn. Different hybrids of scented osmanthus have cream, yellow, and golden orange flowers. The leaf plate is wide, with teeth on the edges. The rich smell of kimonkusei flowers spreads throughout the area.
• Grows in Japan and Taiwan. Measured 8 meters high. The shrub has inconspicuous white flowers, fruits with an olive tint. The highlight of the plant is in its leaves. The main leaf plate is painted light green, but framed along the edge with a border. When the leaves are young, it is pink, with the growth of the leaf plate it becomes beige or yellow.
• Osmanthus is small serrated. Grows in western China. Branches can stretch up to 3 meters in height. The shrub has straight branches, and oval leaves with very small teeth, often located along the edges. It blooms with small, white, fragrant flowers.

How osmanthus blooms, see this video:

A resident of the subtropical zones, osmanthus, a fragrant, spectacular plant, belongs to the genus of olives. That is why its second name is tea olive, also associated with the fact that its fruits are similar to olive fruits - dark blue or purple, with a stone inside.

Osmanthus is a lush evergreen shrub or small tree with leathery leaves and clusters of small flowers with a strong sweet aroma.

Osmanthus can be grown outdoors, in a greenhouse, and at home. It is important at the same time to provide him with a large amount of light - this is a southern plant, the sun and heat are necessary for him as well as air, although light partial shade will not harm him.

Osmanthus is more demanding on the soil - the soil should have a slightly acidic reaction. The plant does not tolerate stagnant water, so choose areas with good drainage for its cultivation.

When planting in open ground, compost is added to the planting hole - from 1 to 3 kilograms per plant. For pots or containers, a mixture is prepared from 2 parts of fertile soil (purchased universal is suitable) and 1 part of lowland peat. In the finished mixture, you need to add 30 grams of complete mineral fertilizer per 10 liters of the finished mixture.

Osmanthus is watered abundantly in the warm season, but not to the point of absurdity: the water should be completely absorbed into the soil, but not stand in puddles. In the cool months, watering is moderate, even scarce. Plants grown in pots or containers are also watered abundantly in summer, moderately in winter, making sure that the soil in the container does not dry out.

A feature of most types of osmanthus is that its flowering begins in mid-autumn, when the air temperature drops below 20 0 C, and continues until spring. However, this applies only to those plants that grow in warm places - the subtropics of the Caucasus. When grown in greenhouses during this period, the temperature is usually artificially lowered. As for indoor varieties of osmanthus, it is quite difficult to make it bloom - after all, for residential premises, a temperature of about 12-15 degrees is unsuitable.

If osmanthus is grown outdoors, it must be remembered that it tolerates a drop in temperature to zero, but frost destroys it. Therefore, for the winter it must be well covered.

Osmanthus is most often grown from cuttings, which are cut in the spring and rooted in a mixture of peat and sand in mini-greenhouses: it needs high, up to 25 degrees, temperature and high humidity for rooting. Rooted cuttings are already transplanted to a permanent place.

Osmanthus can also be grown from seeds. Seeds are first soaked for 10-15 minutes in warm water, the shell is removed. It is recommended to germinate in vermiculite, covering the container with a transparent film and placing it in a warm sunny place. Seeds usually germinate for 3-7 days, after which they are transplanted into the ground.

Osmanthus growing in open ground are not pruned, their shoots are not pinched - this negatively affects their flowering. For indoor or greenhouse forms, pruning is acceptable in order to form a beautiful lush bush or tree.

In the conditions of the Middle Strip, osmanthus is usually not grown in open ground, since it is quite difficult to organize wintering for it.

Tea drinking is a special ritual that allows you to enjoy the aroma of a divine drink, relax, unwind, enjoy a friendly conversation over a cup of fragrant tea flavored with herbs and flower petals. One of the generally recognized leaders among fragrant and healthy drinks is osmanthus tea.

Osmanthus is an evergreen shrub with delicate small flowers and dark green glossy leaves. It belongs to the family of olive crops, and China is considered its homeland. The flowers of the plant are painted in a delicate palette - from light olive to cream and golden yellow. The flowering period lasts from September to April, filling the air with fragrance.

Osmanthus flowers have found use all over the world. The inhabitants of the Celestial Empire, being true experts in aromatherapy, appreciate the fragrant shrub for its qualities and have been widely used in many industries for more than two millennia.

Why is the osmanthus flower so attractive?

The main advantage is a unique fruity aroma, delicate, delicate and, at the same time, quite persistent. Connoisseurs describe it as a mixture of the smell of ripe peaches and apricots and sweet fresh pastries. The taste of fragrant osmanthus tea remains in the mouth for a long time after drinking tea.

It is not surprising that such a pleasant aroma is used in perfumery for the production of perfumes. He was given a romantic name - "memories of the Chinese garden." Osmanthus essential oil is the most expensive and valuable among all known. The chemical composition of the flower petals is able to act on the deeper layers of the skin, prolonging its youth and freshness. That is why the Chinese used the fragrant olive in cosmetology since ancient times, and now it is an indispensable component in the production of skin cosmetics all over the world.

Useful properties of shrubs

Fragrant osmanthus (its flowers, stems and roots), due to the huge number of useful qualities, have long been used in traditional medicine of the East:

• Aromatherapy. Tea from dried flowers or infusion has a calming, relaxing effect, helps to get rid of anxiety and anxiety.
• Cough treatment. The medicinal decoction has a powerful expectorant, anti-inflammatory effect, thins and removes sputum when coughing, is effective for whooping cough, indigestion. Helps with inflammation of the gums, stomatitis, boils.
• Powerful antioxidant. It cleanses the body, removes toxic substances, reduces the level of "bad" cholesterol. It has strong antiseptic and anti-sclerotic properties, improves metabolism, promotes weight loss.

Contraindications

Like all medicinal herbs with potent properties, osmanthus has some restrictions on its use. In any form, it is not recommended to use it for pregnant women and nursing mothers, patients with epilepsy, children. It is also contraindicated in case of individual intolerance to the plant, manifestations of allergies and high blood pressure.

How to make osmanthus tea

The Chinese are true connoisseurs of all the intricacies of tea drinking. They are especially reverent about the “tea olive” and know exactly what sorts of tea can be combined with the aroma of fragrant flowers.

An infusion of dried flowers of the plant is called "Gui Hua Cha" in China. It is prepared separately, and then it can be added to black or green tea, or drunk as an independent drink, which has an unusually pleasant, wonderful fruity taste and delicate smell. Its miraculous qualities are manifested in any method of preparation.

Gourmets love to indulge in osmanthus and jasmine petal teas for a surprisingly bright and rich floral aroma combined with the sweet taste of ripe apricot and peach fruit.

Gui Hua Oolong is a blend of golden Osmanthus petals and Oolong, a semi-fermented green tea. Black pu-erh, which the Chinese call red, is also mixed with fragrant olive petals, and a unique, exquisite, fragrant Gui Hua Hong Cha tea is obtained. It is these two varieties of tea that are ideal for blending with osmanthus flower petals.

Golden Gui Hua Oolong has a special tart fruity taste, floral honey aroma and a sweet aftertaste, perfectly relaxing and soothing. Tea can be consumed cold, its taste only benefits from this. But you need to cool and insist in a tightly sealed container to avoid oxidation and loss of beneficial properties.

It is best to brew Gui Hua Osmanthus in a transparent teapot, following the movement of light petals, color saturation.

1. Preparation of tea by pouring: pour 5-7 g of dry mixture into 100-120 ml of water (90-95 degrees) and infuse for 10-20 seconds. Withstands 7-8 passages.
2. With the European method of brewing: take 3-4 g of tea leaves (1 tsp), pour 200-250 ml of water at 90-95 ° C and leave for 2-3 minutes. Welding is used 1 time.

Red-brown Gui Hua Hong Cha with sweetish-tart notes in taste - tones and invigorates in the morning, and relieves fatigue in the evening.

An exceptionally healthy and exquisitely aromatic tea will deliver true moments of pleasure, cheer up, restore strength, and have a beneficial effect on the entire body.