In Bloom

The light slips through the trees and lands on the orange-zested ground. The air is buzzing with the smell of sweet nectar. I walk around the Hangzhou Botanical Gardens, and I am one of many who came to see the signs of the new season. The trees and ground are speckled orange and golden yellow with tiny flowers. Cooler weather in Hangzhou has started the shift from summer to fall, and these flowers are more signs of autumn --- cheerful and downward-floating. The osmanthus are in bloom.

I set out this afternoon with a book, water, and some snacks in my backpack. I was going to the Hangzhou Botanical Gardens beyond the west side of our campus, just a fifteen-minute walk. The night before, our program director had told us to start looking for osmanthus around Hangzhou. As he told us, osmanthus is the city flower of Hangzhou and usually blooms in early October. The sweet osmanthus tree is an evergreen that is very typical Chinese, and so the name doesn’t translate very well into English. In Chinese, the tree’s flowers are called “guihua.” After walking through the garden’s main gate, I could already smell something new --- I had found osmanthus! I slipped under the shade of the grove and took in my surroundings.

An old Chinese saying goes, “When osmanthus flowers bloom, happy events will come.” The blooms of “guihua” are associated with happiness for several reasons. I understood the enjoyment of the flowers very soon after I started walking around the grove. Though the “guihua” had just begun to bloom, the ground was already a carpet of creamsicle-orange blooms. It looked like a warm-weathered orange snowfall. Some trees had golden osmanthus blossoms, which blended a sunny yellow with orange. Slight breezes delicately brought down more flowers as I walked down the path. Chinese families and friends gathered in clusters in the shade, sitting at tables and drinking tea or picnicking on the ground. It was amusing to walk past and notice the people who had been sitting at their tables the longest --- the orange blossoms really stand out when gathered on top of a head of black hair.

Another enjoyable part of osmanthus is the sweet fragrance. My guidebook refers to the smell as “intoxicatingly fragrant,” and this is not too far from the truth. The little blooms have a surprisingly powerful smell, which is very sweet and borders on citrusy. Besides tickling the nose, the fragrant osmanthus is also practical. The flowers can make a sweet glace soup, osmanthus wine, and even perfume. It’s no wonder that the sound “gui” in “guihua” can mean valuable, as well as honorable and distinguished.

The positive enjoyment of the osmanthus flowers can be seen through years of Chinese history. An old folktale tells of sweet osmanthus trees growing on the moon and showering blossoms on temples and mountains. Those in the temples saw the blossoms as gifts from heaven. From this tale, feudal Chinese had the saying that anyone who passed the highest imperial examinations had “plucked the osmanthus branch from the moon.” Throughout history, the blossoms have continued to represent goodwill.

I walked further around the garden and found a seat to enjoy the scene. Through the osmanthus trees, gentle strains of light fell on those around me. Two older women napped on a bench while a third woman knitted. Chinese of all ages played cards and peeled fruit and shelled seeds. The delicate osmanthus blooms fell on each person. The colorful seeds didn’t miss one head of hair. In the relaxed and cheerful atmosphere, it was easy to imagine that life falls like the osmanthus --- tiny, fragrant bits of goodwill.