Classification of common osmanthus varieties

1. Osmanthus fragrans variety group

It grows in a shrub-like shape with a low trunk, short and dense branches and a spherical crown. New leaves are deep red, mature leaves are green or yellow-green; leaves are elliptical-broad-ovate, entire or sparsely serrated, with unclear wavy margins; leaves are thin, with slightly raised mesophyll and obvious reticular veins. The average petiole length is about 1 cm. The important feature is that the angle between the main vein and the lateral veins of the leaf is large, close to vertical. The flower buds of 'Si Ji Gui' are often solitary or 2-3 in stacks, and bloom in batches from September to March every year. The flower color is lighter, ranging from cream yellow to lemon yellow, and the fragrance is not as strong as that of silver osmanthus, golden osmanthus, and red osmanthus. The varieties include large-leaf Osmanthus fragrans and small-leaf Osmanthus fragrans. It blooms all year round, and there are varieties such as "Monthly Laurel", "Day-fragrant Laurel", "Large-leafed Buddha's Crown", and "Tooth-leafed Osmanthus fragrans".

2. Osmanthus fragrans variety group

An evergreen shrub with dioecious sexes and a spherical crown. The bark is light gray, relatively smooth, and has sparse lenticels. The leaves are leathery, oblong or elliptical, 6-12 cm long and 2.5-5 cm wide; the leaf surface is relatively flat, the leaf margin is curled, entire, occasionally sparsely toothed at the tip, and the base is broadly cuneate; the tip is obtuse or short-pointed; there are 8-10 pairs of lateral veins, and the reticulate veins are obvious on both sides; the petiole is 8-10 mm long. The flowers are orange-red, with a slightly inward-curling corolla and a light fragrance. The flowering period is from late September to early October. It blooms in autumn, with darker colors ranging from orange-yellow, orange-red to scarlet, and has a strong scent. The leaves are thick, and there are varieties such as "Large Flower Osmanthus", "Toothed Osmanthus", "Cinnabar Osmanthus", and "Broad Leaf Red".

3. Golden Osmanthus Variety Group

An evergreen small tree with a spherical crown; the tree is strong, with upright branches that are very dense. The bark is gray, with round or oval lenticels. The spring shoots are relatively thick, with an average length of 15.9 cm. The leaves are dark green, leathery and shiny. The leaves are oval, with uneven surface, slightly curved edges and obvious curling. The margins are entire, occasionally serrated at the tip. The flowers are yellow, fragrant and not strong. It blooms in autumn, with flowers ranging from lemon yellow to light golden yellow. The varieties include "big flower golden osmanthus", "big yellow leaf", "Huangchuan golden osmanthus", "late golden osmanthus", "round leaf golden osmanthus", Xianning late osmanthus, ball osmanthus, round golden osmanthus, willow leaf Su osmanthus, Jinshi osmanthus, wavy leaf golden osmanthus, and other varieties.

4. Silver Osmanthus Variety Group

An evergreen small tree with a spherical crown, large spreading branches, dense foliage, and good growth. The bark is light gray, with many large lenticels that are shaped like snowflakes and are very obvious. The average length of spring shoots is 15.5cm, and the new shoots are brown-red and very eye-catching. The leaves are green or dark green, thick, leathery and shiny; oblong or elliptical; broad and thick; flat; with shallowly wavy, curled, entire leaf margins and occasionally sparsely serrated at the tip; bloom in early to mid-September, with obliquely spreading corollas, oval lobes, and a creamy to lemon yellow color with a strong aroma; no fruit is produced after flowering. It blooms in autumn and the flowers are pure white, creamy white, yellowish white or light yellow. The varieties include broad-leaf seed silver osmanthus, willow-leaf silver osmanthus, hard-leaf silver osmanthus, "seed silver osmanthus", "Jiulong osmanthus", "early silver osmanthus", "late silver osmanthus", "Baijie", "pure white silver osmanthus", "Qingshan silver osmanthus" and other varieties.