Pujiang Osmanthus

Pujiang Osmanthus

Pujiang Osmanthus is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Pujiang Large-Leaf Cinnabar Osmanthus, commonly known as “Pujiang Osmanthus,” has been cultivated in the local area for over 2,500 years;

　　Chinese scientific name: Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus

　　Family: Oleaceae

　　Genus: Osmanthus

　　Species: Osmanthus

　　Subspecies: Cinnabar Osmanthus — an evergreen shrub or small tree, dioecious, non-fruiting, with long elliptical leaves and bright orange-red flowers that emit a strong fragrance. It is a precious ornamental plant and one of China’s top ten famous flowers.

　　Uses: landscaping, street trees, and potted ornamental plants.

　　Among osmanthus varieties, Pujiang Large-Leaf Cinnabar Osmanthus has the strongest fragrance, deep orange-red blossoms, and high ornamental value.

　　Pujiang Large-Leaf Cinnabar Osmanthus is highly adaptable and can be planted over a wide range:

　　· The Large-Leaf Cinnabar Osmanthus is heat-resistant, fairly cold-hardy, and not very demanding on soil. It prefers moist, well-drained sandy soil but also grows well in heavier clay soils, though waterlogging should be avoided.

　　· Its suitable growth regions extend north to the lower reaches of the Yellow River, Hebei, Beijing, and other areas, west to Sichuan and Yunnan,

　　and south to Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan. Pujiang Large-Leaf Cinnabar Osmanthus

　　The Pujiang Large-Leaf Cinnabar Osmanthus variety is a tree, growing 4–8 meters tall, with wedge-shaped, large leaves that taper to a point, have entire margins with slight serration (obvious serrations), 6–8 pairs of lateral veins, indistinct reticulate veins, dark green and thick leaves, petioles about 4–5 mm long, and 6–10 flowers per bud.

　　Fast-growing: Pujiang Large-Leaf Cinnabar Osmanthus takes only 3 years to grow compared to 5 years or more for ‘Zhuangyuan Hong’ (Number One Scholar Red), which grows even slower once its trunk diameter exceeds 15 cm.

　　Early blooming: Pujiang Large-Leaf Cinnabar Osmanthus blooms earlier than Zhuangyuan Hong.

　　Tightly clustered flowers: Pujiang Cinnabar Osmanthus forms denser flower clusters (with 9–12 flowers per cluster), whereas Zhuangyuan Hong has longer flower stems, fewer flowers per cluster (maximum 8), and a looser floral display.

　　 6-year-old Pujiang Osmanthus cultivated by the Shangyuan Osmanthus Cooperative in Pujiang in bloom

　　Deep orange-red petals, non-fruiting, strong fragrance, abundant blossoms, fast shaping, initial flowering at 6 years old, peak flowering at 8 years old. It is not demanding on the environment and is easy to cultivate.

　　· During the osmanthus blooming season, over 20,000 tourists and merchants visit Pujiang to admire the flowers and order seedlings.

　　· The county’s osmanthus planting area increases by tens of thousands of mu annually, with over 200 million osmanthus seedlings propagated each year. The current total planting area has exceeded 60,000 mu, ranking first in the nation.