Osmanthus and rose

The two flowers most often used to scent tea outside of jasmine, and a clear illustration that floral covers two quite different things.

botanical

What is being compared

Aspect	Osmanthus	Rose
Aroma	Apricot and stone fruit with honey. Reads as fruit before it reads as flower.	Unmistakably floral, with a sweet powdery edge that some find soapy.
Strength	Moderate and forgiving. Hard to overdo.	Strong and easy to overdo, especially with dried buds rather than petals.
With tea	Sits well on oolong and on green tea without covering them.	Tends to dominate a delicate base; usually paired with black tea for that reason.
Alone	Pleasant but thin — it is better as a component.	Works alone if dosed lightly, and is drunk that way across Iran and Turkey.

Osmanthus if you want floral character that behaves like fruit; rose if you want something recognisably a flower and are prepared to measure it.

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