Osmanthus, the City Flower of Which City?
As one of China's traditional top ten famous flowers, osmanthus is deeply loved for its rich fragrance and multiple values. From garden landscapes to special delicacies, from city symbols to medicinal health care, this evergreen tree carries a unique regional culture. This article will take you to understand the representative cities that take osmanthus as the city flower, analyze the mystery of its flowering in all seasons, and interpret its wisdom of application over thousands of years.
The Cultural Context of Osmanthus and the City
Honor of the City Flower Shared by Ten Cities
From the Yangtze River Valley to the southwest region, 11 cities such as Suzhou, Guilin, and Xianning have designated osmanthus as the city flower. Among them, Guilin City is named after "osmanthus trees forming a forest," with over 2,000 ancient osmanthus trees over a hundred years old; Suzhou's Liu Garden, "Fragrant Osmanthus Pavilion," bears witness to the millennium bond between Jiangnan gardens and osmanthus; Xianning in Hubei is famous for its "Chinese Osmanthus Homeland," with a cultivation history of 2,300 years and a community of one million ancient osmanthus trees.
Cultural Code of the City Flower Selection
The selection of osmanthus as the city flower considers three elements: adaptability, cultural fit, and landscape value. Its cold and drought-resistant characteristics adapt to the climate zone between 24°N and 33°N, highly compatible with the geography of cities in the Yangtze River Valley. The custom of enjoying osmanthus during the Mid-Autumn Festival and the allusion of "breaking the osmanthus" make it a cultural symbol that embodies nostalgia and the spirit of striving.
Analysis of Osmanthus Flowering Cycle
Major Autumn Fragrance Varieties
Golden osmanthus, silver osmanthus, and red osmanthus bloom intensively from White Dew to Cold Dew (September-October). At this time, the day and night temperature difference reaches 8-10℃, relative humidity is 70%-80%, which is most conducive to bud differentiation. The flowering period of a single plant is about 7-10 days, and the group flowering period can last for 20 days, with a flower density of 3,000-5,000 per square meter of crown.
Key Points of Osmanthus Care in All Seasons
Annual flowering can be achieved by controlling temperature and supplementing light: maintaining 15-25℃ in spring and winter and supplementing light for 4 hours daily, combined with potassium dihydrogen phosphate foliar fertilizer (0.2% concentration). It should be noted that continuous flowering will consume tree nutrients, so it is recommended to apply decomposed sheep manure (2kg/plant) after each flowering season to restore tree vigor.
Osmanthus Multidimensional Value System
Three Methods of Garden Landscaping
Planting at the gate to bring the "double osmanthus in the court" auspicious sign, planting in groups to form the "osmanthus garden" fragrance space, and planting alone with landscape stones to create a freehand painting scene. In modern landscapes, it is often combined with red maple and nandina, forming an ornamental community alternating between spring and autumn.
Example of Food and Medicine Origin
Every kilogram of dried flowers contains linalool 6.8mg and ionone 3.2mg. In traditional crafts, pickled osmanthus needs to be layered pickled with sea salt at a ratio of 1:5, and sugar-coated osmanthus needs to be mixed with white sugar at a ratio of 1:3 for fermentation. Medicinally, drying at a low temperature of 50℃ can maximize the retention of volatile components.
From a city's business card to the aesthetics of life, osmanthus, with its unique biological characteristics and cultural connotations, is rejuvenated in the process of modernization. Mastering its growth laws and application techniques can allow this gift of autumn to continue to nourish our material and spiritual homeland.