The difference between osmanthus and osmanthus

1. Height

First of all, we should make it clear that osmanthus is an evergreen tree or shrub, while sweet osmanthus is a small tree. So, comparing the two, the height of the first one will be much higher than the second one. Specifically, the height of osmanthus can even reach eighteen meters. However, the height of Osmanthus fragrans is generally around eight meters.

2. Appearance

(1) Leaves: Let’s first talk about the shape of the leaves. The leaves of osmanthus are leathery, mostly oval, but some are oblong or lanceolate. However, the leaves of the second type of plants are different, most of them are obovate. Also, their lengths are different. The leaves of the first plant are approximately 7 to 14.5 cm long and 2.6 to 4.5 cm wide. However, the leaves of the second plant are much smaller, about one to six centimeters in length and about half a centimeter to three centimeters in width.

(2) Petiole: The main difference is the length. The petiole length of the former is 0.8 to 1.2 cm, which is longer than that of the second one.

(3) Fruit: The first difference is the shape. The fruit of the first kind is oval, that of the second kind is broadly ovate, or sometimes spherical; and the sizes are also inconsistent, the former being somewhat larger than the latter.

3. Different flowering and fruiting periods

For the first plant, its flowering period is from September to early October, and its fruiting period is in March of the following year. The second species blooms from April to August and fruits from September to December.