Kathi KevilleNative to Spain and Greece, this is the “rockrose” grown in some North American gardens. Possibly the Bible’s onycha and “rose of Sharon” (Song 2:1), it often replaces ambergris. It has long been popular in Spain, which...
Some perfumes use small amounts of cumin, which is native to Egypt and the Mediterranean. The seed is commonly used in Mexican and East Indian foods, and is traditionally used in the ancient Ayurvedic medicine of East India. Family: Apiaceae...
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...
The landscapes of southern France and Greece are graced with this statuesque evergreen. It has long been associated with death, and even today Egyptians use cypress for coffins, while French and Americans plant it in graveyards. Smoke from the...
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...
With more than 600 species, eucalyptus offers a variety of scents. The blue-gum variety is the most widely cultivated and produces most of the oil available today. It was introduced at the Paris Exposition in 1867 after the Melbourne, Australia...
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...
A tall, feathery Mediterranean herb, fennel loves to grow by the sea. Italian fishermen brought it to California, where it flourishes along the coast. It is called “licorice plant” because of its taste and smell. A fennel water for...
The 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:...
