Also known as: 木犀, モクセイ, ギンモクセイ, 桂花
Osmanthus fragrans, commonly known as sweet osmanthus, sweet olive, tea olive, fragrant olive, and in Japanese as mokusei, is a species of the Osmanthus genus of plants native to southeast Asia.
It is an evergreen shrub or small tree, with clusters of small (1 cm), four-lobed flowers ranging in color from white through pale yellow to orange-yellow. In Japan, subspecies with white and orange flowers are distinguished, called "Silver Osmanthus" (銀木犀, ginmokusei) and "Gold Osmanthus" (金木犀, kinmokusei) respectively.
It is widely cultivated, both in and out of its native range, for its strong fragrance. Its flowers are used in jams, desserts, and as an infusion for tea.