Character
The Story of Bourbon Ylang-Ylang
Bourbon Ylang-Ylang captures the heady, romantic soul of tropical flowers from the Indian Ocean islands. Grown in Madagascar's perfumed valleys, this precious absolute delivers an intoxicating floral creaminess that has seduced perfumers for generations.
Heritage
Ylang-ylang's story begins in the Philippine islands, where a German sailor named Albertus Schwenger established the first commercial distillation laboratory in Manila in 1860. The aromatic oil quickly gained favor among European perfumers. By the early twentieth century, cultivation spread to the Bourbon islands of the Indian Ocean, particularly Madagascar and the Comoros archipelago, where growers discovered the volcanic soils produced flowers of extraordinary richness. The flowers historically perfumed the palaces of Southeast Asian rulers. Today, Madagascar dominates production, supplying the world's finest Ylang-ylang oil under the Bourbon designation. The flower remains central to local traditions, appearing in wedding garlands and ceremonial offerings across the region.
At a Glance
1
Feature this note
Madagascar
Primary source region
Ingredient Details
Steam distillation
Flower petals
Did You Know
"Ylang-ylang flowers are hand-picked at dawn when their scent peaks, and it takes 50 kilograms of blossoms to produce just one kilogram of oil."