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 Aloeswood
- A Gift of Nature...
Aloeswood is one of
the most rare and precious
woods in the world,
prized for its rich
and wonderful fragrance.
It has been used for
centuries in religious
ceremonies, as well
as in traditional medicine.
It is believed to have
both mental and physical
medicinal benefits –
with properties thought
to balance the mind
and body and relieve
pain.* Aloeswood is
also believed by many
to have aphrodisiacal
qualities.
Botanical
Information
Aloeswood,
sometimes referred to
as agarwood, belongs
to the genus Aquilaria
and to the species Agallocha.
It is native to Cambodia,
Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia
and Northern India,
although resources in
many of these areas
have suffered from unchecked
exploitation in recent
times.
 The
tree that produces the
aloeswood resin is a
large evergreen, usually
around 20 meters tall,
but it can reach up
to 40 meters.** The
tree bears a fragrant,
green and yellowish-white
flower (shown on the
right).
Aloeswood
is not related to Aloe
Vera (Latin name: Aloe
barbadensis).
Learn
more about the formation
and cultivation of aloeswood.
The
Scent
of
Aloeswood
Aloeswood
has
a
deep,
woodsy
scent,
often
described
as
warm
and
earthy.
The
aroma
is
distinctive
and
very
penetrating.
Because
the
scent
is
so
pleasant,
aloeswood
is
used
to
make
essential
oil
and
aloeswood
chips,
and
it
is
also
a
prized
ingredient
of
incense
in
the
Middle
East
and
in
Japan.
The
fragrance
of
aloeswood
can
vary
greatly
depending
on
the
country
of
origin,
the
density
of
resin
and
depending
also
on
the
part
of
the
tree
from
which
it
is
harvested.
Read
about
the
different
grades
of
aloeswood.
Read
about
the
very
rare
blossoming
of
an
aloeswood
tree
which
took
place
in
Japan,
in
2001.
*
Source: Raintree Nutrition
**
Source: White Lotus
Aromatics newsletter,
8/2001
All
photographs used courtesy
of Shoyeido, Japan.
All Rights Reserved.
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