Osmanthus, otherwise known as sweet osmanthus, sweet olive or fragrant olive (Osmanthus fragrant), as the name suggests, emits a wonderful fragrance when its orange (or sometimes white) flowers bloom from September to October every year. In Japan, where the shrub is grown and planted throughout the country, it's a famous sign of the season when its delightful aroma wafts through the morning air, greeting children on their way to school or people commuting to work.

However, although its fragrance and its colorful orange blossom are known throughout Asia, not many people have seen a cross-section of its trunk.

Japanese Twitter user and amateur fossil collector, mineral collector and gold panner 夏樹 Natsuki (@isurusescheri) posted photos of a cross-section of an Osmanthus trunk:

What a unique and attractive pattern...!

As Natsuki pointed out, people have almost no opportunities to see Osmanthus wood on the market as timber, which is why this is a valuable photo.

The surprising images revealing yet another charm of the Osmanthus elicited many reactions such as:

• "This is something we are familiar with but rarely see. I was really surprised!"
• "I've never seen this before.... It's so beautiful and artistic."

Next time you see an Osmanthus, maybe you'll not only enjoy the fragrance and blossoms but also appreciate the fact that its branches hide such lovely patterns.