Kathi KevilleThe 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:...
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...
Once considered sacred, this herb was often used in purification practices. Hyssop comes from the Mediterranean. Most of the oil produced goes into expensive perfumes. Family: Lamiaceae (Labiatae) Extraction: Distilled from flowering tops. The odor...
