Cannonball Flower
The Cannonball Flower produces blooms of startling size and power, native to Amazonian rainforests. Its intense, complex fragrance ranges from sweet tropical notes to deeper animalic undertones, rarely used but unforgettable when it appears in a composition.
Character
How it smells
Amazon's most dramatically intense bloom.
The tree produces fruits the size of cannonballs, sometimes weighing over 7 kilograms.
Origin
Brazil
The Cannonball Tree holds deep significance in Amazonian cultures, where indigenous peoples have long recognized both its ornamental and practical value. Couroupita guianensis grows abundantly throughout the Amazon basin and parts of the Caribbean, where it can reach heights exceeding 35 meters.
The species developed its powerful fragrance to attract specific pollinators: bats and carrion flies that navigate the rainforest's lower levels. Traditional medicine practitioners in Peru and Brazil have employed various parts of the tree for digestive and respiratory complaints.
The striking appearance of the flowers, arranged in long racemes directly on the trunk, has made the tree a sacred specimen in some communities. Western perfumery discovered the ingredient only recently, as expanded sourcing from South American suppliers opened access to regional botanicals previously unknown to the international fragrance industry.
Wears it best
Fragrances featuring Cannonball Flower
Brands
Brands known for Cannonball Flower
Good to know
Questions, answered
The essentials on Cannonball Flower in perfumery: how it smells, where it comes from, and how it behaves on skin.
What does Cannonball Flower smell like?
Cannonball Flower presents an intense, dual-character fragrance combining sweet tropical floral notes with deeper, almost animalic undertones. The scent is powerful and distinctive, requiring careful dilution in perfumery.
Is Cannonball Flower natural or synthetic?
Cannonball Flower absolute is a natural ingredient extracted via solvent extraction from fresh Amazonian blooms. No widely-used synthetic equivalent exists for this specific material.
Which perfumes feature Cannonball Flower?
Cannonball Flower remains uncommon in commercial perfumery due to sourcing challenges and the intensity of the raw material. Houses working with rare Amazonian botanicals occasionally feature it in limited collections.
Why is it called Cannonball Flower?
The name derives from the tree's spherical fruits, which can reach 25 centimeters in diameter and weigh up to 7 kilograms. The fruits develop directly from the trunk, similar to the large floral clusters.
Where does Cannonball Flower grow?
Couroupita guianensis thrives in tropical rainforest climates across the Amazon basin, with major populations in Brazil, Peru, and surrounding regions. The tree requires consistent humidity and warmth.
What extraction process creates Cannonball Flower absolute?
Solvent extraction using food-grade solvents draws aromatic compounds from freshly harvested blooms. Technicians then remove the solvent under controlled conditions to produce the concentrated absolute.
Does Cannonball Flower have traditional uses beyond perfumery?
Indigenous Amazonian communities have used various parts of the Cannonball Tree in traditional medicine for digestive and respiratory ailments. These uses date back centuries in the region.
