Osmanthus, a beloved symbol of Hangzhou, has been cultivated in the city for nearly a thousand years. Every autumn, locals and tourists alike eagerly await the first fragrant blooms. A particular osmanthus located on the south side of the Sun Plaza in Hangzhou Children’s Park, affectionately nicknamed the “Star Osmanthus” by locals, has consistently been a front-runner in the annual blooming competition.

However, this year, a silver osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans var. latifolius) across from the well-known Star Osmanthus has stolen the show. It was reported that the first osmanthus bloom of the season in the West Lake Scenic Area was discovered on the sweet osmanthus on September 18th.

According to a staff member at Zhangzhou Children’s Park, while the Star Osmanthus’s flower buds were already close to the round bead shape by late August, the unusually high temperatures caused the early buds to wither, forcing the tree into a second blooming cycle. In contrast, the neighboring silver osmanthus, this year’s blooming champion, began its blooming cycle slightly later, allowing it to build up more energy and withstand the conditions.

Hangzhou Children’s Park is a popular destination for osmanthus enthusiasts, boasting over 3,000 plants from over 80 species across four main varieties: thunbergii, latifolius, aurantiacus, and semperflorens. The first osmanthus bloom signals the start of Hangzhou’s osmanthus season.

When is the best time to see osmanthus blooms in Hangzhou?

The osmanthus flowering process typically involves 11 stages: bud initiation, bud development, bead-shaped bud, bud opening, bell-shaped bud, peak fragrance, early flowering, beginning of peak bloom, peak bloom, end of peak bloom, and flower withering. Thanks to cooler temperatures and ample rainfall from recent typhoons, conditions in Hangzhou have been ideal for osmanthus to bloom.

The osmanthus trees in Hangzhou Children’s Park are starting to form flower buds. If the weather remains favorable, we can expect them to be in full bloom during the National Day holiday.

As autumn deepens, let’s anticipate the delightful fragrance of osmanthus filling the city’s air!