Kathi KevilleThe fragrance temporarily makes you lose your sense of smell, leading Shakespeare to muse, “The perfume, suppliance of a minute. No more.” Medieval patients drank violet water; they were rubbed with violet oil, then wrapped in linen...
The balsam fir, better known as the “Christmas tree,” is native to northern Europe. “Fir” essential oil is distilled from the twigs or needles of many different firs, and even from spruces, pines and other conifers. Family:...
An important incense since ancient times, frankincense has been used throughout the ages to enhance spirituality. It's also known for its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory medicinal properties, and even has cosmetic and skin treatments.
Resembling a giant fennel plant, galbanum was used in the ancient world as incense. Native to the Middle East and West Asia, it is cultivated today in Iran, Turkey, Lebanon and Afghanistan. It was used in pharmaceuticals, but now it is mostly known...
Seventeenth-century Europeans took a fancy to this tender African perennial, also known as “rose geranium,” and propagated it in their greenhouses. The resulting hybridization increased the species to more than 600, which includes many...
Native to the tropics, ginger's thin, broad leaves are attached to a surprisingly succulent, spicy rhizome. The herb originated near the Indian Ocean, but it is now grown throughout the tropics.
This flower, sometimes called “everlast” or “immortelle,” is native to the Mediterranean and North Africa and is cultivated in Spain, Italy and Yugoslavia. A related species, H. orientale, is also grown for oil, while H...
This large European and west Asian plant is common in herb gardens. It tastes like a very strong celery. The herb is often used in treating women’s complaints. Family: Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) Extraction: Distilled from fresh roots, or from...
A well-loved Mediterranean herb, this English lavender has been associated with cleanliness ever since Romans added it to their washing water. In fact, the word comes from the Latin word lavare (“to wash”) and is the root for the word...
The lemon tree originated in Asia, but is now widely cultivated in Italy, Australia and California. The fragrance is popular in colognes and household cleaning products. The flowers have a pleasant aroma, but only the peel oil is produced...
