The temperature is dropping, and the long-awaited autumn is within reach. This is the season you find locals and tourists sniffing around, trying to catch the first aroma of osmanthus.

Last Sunday morning, a source posted on the City Link App excitingly said that he spotted the very first yellow flowers of the "star osmanthus" at Hangzhou Children's Park.

The report immediately approached Xu Zhe, head of the Department of Landscape Architecture at Hangzhou Zoo (Children's Park), who confirmed that the famous plant did start to bloom. Not too much though, just about 10% of the flowers. The budding status revealed that blooming started one day ago.

Due to the sustained high temperature and few rains this summer, the "star osmanthus" unfolds more than half a month later than in previous years. Thanks to the crisp weather and abundant rainfall brought by the typhoon in the last two days, the first fragrance finally emerged.

Xu checked the weather and predicted that the "star osmanthus" will present more flowers in the second half of next week, "Generally speaking, we say the tree is blooming when at least 10% of the flowers are open. Now there are just a few tiny ones. If you go visit it, just take time!"

For this shrub to grow quickly and fragrantly, the best temperature range is 20°C–30°C. Hot days, cool nights and high humidity are ideal for the growth.

The well-known "star osmanthus" got the name for a reason: all the city’s osmanthus would only blossom when it takes lead. Now that it has started, the city's sweetest season should be around the corner.