i don't know why i didn't become a botanist

This shrub appears most ordinary BUT
it has a secret.









You notice the tiny flowers?
They are quite dainty and understated. In fact, you have to make a point of stopping and actually parting the limbs to even notice them.

So what’s the secret?


The AROMA!

If you pass the shrub – even a block away. Out for a walk or even a drive, you will be dazzled by the fragrance. Not pungent or cloying. Not overpowering like gardenia, or penetrating like wisteria. Just light and pleasant. Almost like vanilla, but ever so delicate and feminine. It is a mystery to me why it can’t be bottled or extracted. It is a fragrance that would be fit for the most elegant queen.

It is Osmanthus fragrans or sweet olive and it is what I imagine heaven must smell like!