When does osmanthus usually bloom? A guide to its flowering period
Different osmanthus varieties bloom at different times. Most bloom during September-October, while the Four Seasons Osmanthus variety blooms all year round, though with very few flowers. The flowering period is also closely related to the region: Shanghai, Jiangsu and other places bloom in October, Beijing, Hebei and other areas bloom in September, while the Northeast region blooms as early as August.
Below are the specific flowering times of several varieties
Four Seasons Osmanthus
Four Seasons Osmanthus blooms in batches from September each year to March of the following year. This variety grows as a clumping shrub with a relatively low, short form, short and dense branches, and a round, spherical crown. Its new leaves are dark red, while the old leaves are green or yellow-green. The flower color is relatively pale, and its fragrance is not as rich as that of the Silver Osmanthus, Golden Osmanthus and Red Osmanthus varieties.
Red Osmanthus
Red Osmanthus blooms from late September to early October each year. It is an evergreen shrub with light gray, fairly smooth bark; its crown is also round and spherical, with leaves 6-12 cm long and 2.5-5 cm wide; the leaf surface is fairly flat, and the petiole is 8-10 mm long. The flower color is orange-red, the corolla is slightly incurved, and the scent is relatively rich.
Golden Osmanthus
Golden Osmanthus blooms from September to early October each year. It is an evergreen small tree, also with a round, spherical crown; the tree is vigorous, with relatively upright branches averaging 15.9 cm in length; its flower color is yellow, blooming in autumn with flowers ranging from lemon yellow to pale golden yellow, and the fragrance is also relatively rich.
Silver Osmanthus
Silver Osmanthus blooms in early September each year. It is also an evergreen small shrub with a round, spherical crown and spreading, dense branches and leaves; the bark is light gray with large and numerous lenticels, somewhat resembling snowflakes. This osmanthus variety also has a relatively rich fragrance, but after flowering it sets relatively little fruit.
Others
In addition, osmanthus sometimes blooms at slightly different times depending on the planting region. For example: in the Shanghai, Anhui or Jiangsu area it basically blooms only in October, while in the Northeast area it basically blooms in August, and in the Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei area it blooms in September, and so on, all of which differ. In short, osmanthus will definitely not bloom before it reaches flowering age.