Description and types of osmanthus, use in medicine, cosmetics and cooking, recommendations for its cultivation, advice on reproduction, diseases and pests. 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, connoisseurs of beauty decorate their homes both inside and outside their homesteads. When it blooms, everything around is filled with a very delicate, delicate aroma. In addition, the plant has more than just decorative uses. Its bark, leaves and flowers are used for health promotion, culinary, cosmetic and perfumery purposes.
Osmanthus is loved in different countries. Each country has its own traditions and legends associated with kimonkusei. The shrub has long been a symbol of love in Taiwan. According to custom, after the wedding, the bride brings home grown osmanthus and pomegranate to her new home. A fragrant bush is a symbol of faithful and long-lasting love, and a fruit plant is a symbol of peace and fertility. This gift from the bride means that she will love, respect her husband, and give him wonderful children. 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 get together. People walk all night, admire the moon, feast on yuebin moon cakes to which bush flower petals are added.
The bush, or kinmokuseya tree in its natural environment, reaches up to 18 meters in height. Flowers are collected in small inflorescences, bisexual, have both male and female characteristics. May be yellowish, reddish, reddish shades. Corolla of flowers are tubular, four-lobed. Fruits 10-14 mm - look like small olives. Leaves on a short stalk, pointed at the top. In urban 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 plant is from an evergreen genus of the olive family. The genus includes about thirty species. Some of the varieties:
- Osmanthus berkwood, distinguished by an abundance of fragrant flowers, appears in the second half of spring.
- Making osmanthus, white flowers grow on arcuate branches that bloom all summer.
- Osmanthus forchuna, flowers are collected in small bunches, small teeth on the leaves.
- Fragrant osmanthus, creamy, yellow and golden flowers, wide leaves, blooms all spring and autumn.
- Osmanthus is variegated, it has inconspicuous white flowers, leaves with edges of different colors.
- Osmanthus is finely 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 from the bark of kinmokusi is used in medicine. Tincture from the roots of the plant treats dysmenorrhea, rheumatism, bruises, etc. An essential oil is produced from flowers. This oil is added to improve the taste of herbal medicines. Osmanthus kidneys are used to make medicines that help with coughs and whooping cough. It is a natural antiseptic that relieves sore throat and 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, and is able to activate the skin to natural self-healing. It is very concentrated and penetrates into the deepest layers of the epidermis, therefore it smoothes even deep wrinkles. Kinmokuseya oil is used in the production of expensive face and body creams, masks and hair shampoos. The product is used for aging, fading skin. Also, the oil heals the skin prone to acne and inflammation. Shampoos and masks for dry, brittle hair are very effective.
- Osmanthus in perfumery. Perfumers love kinmokuseya essential oil. It has a complex chemical formula. The smell is pleasant sweetish with subtle hints of fruit and skin aromas. It is part of very expensive perfumes of various brands, which are in great demand among perfume connoisseurs. Osmanthus oil is used as a repellent for clothing. It can also be poured into aroma lamps during aromatherapy sessions.
- Cooking applications. The flowers of the plant are used as aromatization of black and green tea. Tea not only acquires a delicate and delicate aroma, but also has beneficial properties. Drinking this tea has a tonic and invigorating effect on the body, normalizes 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. Sauces and soups are made from them. They make preserves and jams. Used in the manufacture of alcoholic beverages: liquor and wine.
Cultivation of kinmokuseya in personal 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 perfect. At the time of planting, several kilograms of compost must be placed in the groove.
Both after planting and every spring, you need to water the soil with liquid fertilizers. Watering should be abundant to form a good root system. To form a beautiful, green crown, after flowering, the bush is pruned.
Growing osmanthus indoors
Indoors, kimonkusses are grown in the form of a miniature decorative tree. Blooms rarely in apartments. Basically, its crown is cut for a beautiful decorative look.
A small container is needed for planting and better development. The container is filled with a mixture of turf, humus and sand.
Kimonkusi is placed in a bright place in the room. In the summer, it must be taken out to the balcony. In winter, it is kept at a temperature of 10-12 degrees Celsius.
In the summer, the tree is watered abundantly, in winter, watering is reduced. During the growing season, be sure to fertilize with a universal top dressing.
Osmanthus breeding tips
The plant can be propagated by both seeds and cuttings.
The prepared seed is sown in a moistened substrate. The soil is prepared in equal proportions of turf, humus and sand. Seeds sprout for a rather long time, from six to twelve months or more. A year later, at the beginning of summer, young seedlings are transplanted into open ground.
When propagating from a mature bush, during the growing season from September to October, young apical cuttings are cut off at a distance of 8-13 centimeters in length. The twigs are deepened into the prepared soil mixture of turf, peat and sand. Pots with cuttings are placed indoors and kept at temperatures 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 in kinmokusei is viral spotting. Honey honey fungus causes rotting of the plant root system. Insect pests that most often annoy kinmokusei are scale insects and worms. The most common disease of the bush is viral spotting. Asymmetrical, dark spots appear on the leaf blades, the edges of the leaves can curl, osmanthus stops developing. Insects are the main vectors of the disease. It is extremely difficult to fight with the help of chemicals, therefore, they are fighting insects - carriers of viruses. Diseased leaves are cut and destroyed. Cuttings from diseased plants are not taken for propagation. Disinfection of equipment, steaming of planting material, or its replacement in containers is carried out.
A pest that affects the root system of a plant is honey honey. It causes osmanthus roots to rot. The difficulty lies in the fact that the disease cannot be diagnosed in the early stages, and it develops imperceptibly, since it begins underground. Mostly infected bushes die. Immediate soil disinfection measures need to be taken to prevent contamination of other plants in the garden.
The pests that parasitize kinmokusei are mealybugs and scale insects. Mealybugs form a white coating on the leaves of the plant - this is a fungal disease that is spread by spores through the air, through water. As the disease progresses, the leaves gradually turn yellow, and new ones grow deformed. If you do not fight the lesions, the bush may die. To combat the disease, you need to cut off the affected branches, leaves and flowers, replace the top layer of the soil and spray abundantly with a medicinal solution. The solution is prepared from soda and liquid soap. It is possible to carry out disinfection with chemical preparations - "topaz", "fast".
The scale insect also negatively affects the entire plant. It is a small insect that looks like a flat, hard aphid that adheres tightly to the leaves and branches of osmanthus. The fight against the parasite is long. The procedures for detecting the scabbard should be carried out regularly. Spraying is also carried out quite often. Folk remedies against the scabbard: green potassium soap, a weak solution of vinegar, tincture of pepper, garlic, onion. Chemicals - "metaphos", "fitoverm". Six months after the extermination of the parasites, it is necessary to carry out regular inspection and disinfection of containers and the window sill.
The most common types of osmanthus
- Osmanthus berkwood. Grows in China and the Caucasus. Reaches a height of up to 2 meters. It is considered a rare species. Differs in 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 making. Reaches a height of 1.8 meters. Elongated dark green leaves grow on arcuate branches. The shrub blooms profusely all summer, with white tubular flowers.
- Osmanthus fortune. Stretches to a height of 7 meters. The leaves of the shrub are elongated, have small denticles at the edges. Flowers are collected in small bunches. Loves a cooler climate. It blooms at intervals from 9 months to a year.
- Fragrant osmanthus. It can grow up to 6 meters in height. Blooms almost all spring and autumn. Various hybrids of scented osmanthus have flowers that are creamy, yellow and golden orange. The leaf plate is wide, with denticles at the edges. The intense scent of kimonkusei flowers spreads throughout the entire area.
- Osmanthus is variegated. Grows in Japan and Taiwan. Measured by 8 meters in height. The shrub has inconspicuous white flowers, fruits with an olive tint. The zest of the plant is in its leaves. The main leaf plate is colored light green, but framed by a border around the edge. When the leaves are young, it is pink, with the growth of the leaf plate it becomes beige or yellow.
- Osmanthus finely serrated. Grows in western China. The branches can stretch up to 3 meters in height. The shrub has straight branches and oval leaves with very small denticles, often located along the edges. It blooms with small, white, fragrant flowers.
How osmanthus blooms, see this video:
