Champaca

Champaca is a small tree with dark, glossy leaves and clusters of creamy yellow-orange flowers that release a heavy, sweet perfume, especially in the evening. It is the kind of scent that stops people mid-step.

In its native range the flowers are used to flavor tea and scent perfumes, and in Hawaiʻi it is planted in tropical gardens for the fragrance alone. The blooms are not large, but they are numerous and long-lasting.

This is a quieter tree than some of the others, but it rewards close attention. The petals are thick and waxy, the leaves are almost black-green, and the whole thing feels like a secret.