Osmanthus is an evergreen tree or shrub, 3-5 meters tall, up to 18 meters; the bark is gray-brown. Young branches are yellow-brown, hairless. Leaves are leathery, elliptic, oblong-elliptic, or elliptic-lanceolate, 7-14.5 cm long, 2.6-4.5 cm wide, with acuminate tips, gradually narrowing at the base into a cuneate or broad-cuneate shape, entire or usually with fine serrations on the upper part, hairless on both sides, with gland dots forming small bubble-like protuberances on both surfaces, midrib concave above, convex below, lateral veins 6-8 pairs, up to 10 pairs, concave above, convex below; petioles are 0.8-1.2 cm long, up to 15 cm, hairless.

Inflorescences are cluster in leaf axils, or nearly resembling a broom, with multiple flowers in each axil; bracts are broadly ovate, thick, 2-4 mm long, with a small pointed tip, hairless; pedicels are slender, 4-10 mm long, hairless; flowers are extremely fragrant; calyx is about 1 mm long, lobes slightly irregular; corolla is pale yellow, light yellow, yellow, or orange-red, 3-4 mm long, with a tube only 0.5-1 mm long; stamens are attached at the middle of the corolla tube, filaments very short, about 0.5 mm long, anthers about 1 mm long, tips slightly extended into an inconspicuous small point; pistil is about 1.5 mm long, style about 0.5 mm long. Fruits are oblique, ellipsoid, 1-1.5 cm long, dark purple. Flowering period is from September to early October, fruiting period is the following March.

Dense with strong growth, robust branches, large leaf shape, rough leaf surface, deep green leaves, and orange-red flowers; Silver Osmanthus with moderate growth, smooth leaf surface, toothed leaf edges, and milky white flowers, with a dense bloom and sweet fragrance; and the evergreen Osmanthus, with strong growth, smooth leaf surface, sparse toothed or entire leaf edges, pale yellow flowers, sparse bloom, and light fragrance. It blooms twice a year, from September to October, like the above varieties, and also flowers every two to three months. The fruit of the Osmanthus and evergreen Osmanthus is a dark purple drupe, commonly known as "Osmanthus seeds." The seedlings have a distinct taproot and a deep, extensive root system. The young roots are light yellowish-brown, and the mature roots are yellowish-brown.