Hello everyone,
FRAGRANCE LAB.BLOG, brought to you by fragrance manufacturer ART LAB., is back with another installment.
Continuing the conversation from the 11th issue, we would like to talk about the fragrance of “Freesia” as ESSENCE & FLEUR Vol. 6.
Classification of Freesia and its fragrance
Freesia is a plant classified in the Iridaceae family, genus Freesia, and is also called “Iris narcissus” in Japan because of its resemblance to iris and narcissus.
The straight, vertical leaves are a characteristic of the iris family, and it bears white or yellow petals.
Flowering season is from March to April, and it releases a sweet and strong fragrance that matches the spring season.
The white flowers smell as sweet as osmanthus, while the scent of yellow flowers gives an impression of fresh, sweet and sour. The flower language of freesia, such as “innocence” and “purity,” come from the image of the fragrance.
Incidentally, it was a Danish botanist named Christian Friedrich Ecklon who first discovered the freesia, and he dedicated the name “Freesia” in honor of his good friend, the German physician Freese, hence the name.
There are more than 150 varieties!！？
Freesia is native to South Africa, where about 10 varieties grow wild, but selective breeding efforts have been made in Europe, as the Netherlands being the leading country, there are now more than 150 garden varieties.
The flowers are not limited to white and yellow, but also come in a variety of colors such as pink and purple.
Horticultural varieties tend to grow taller and have larger flowers than the originals, because in the Netherlands, larger and heavier flowers are considered more valuable.
Freesia is also grown in Japan, and the largest production area in Japan is in Hachijojima, Tokyo.
Every year, the Hachijojima Freesia Festival is held on Hachijojima from the spring Equinox to early April.
The sight of approximately 350,000 colorful freesias in white, yellow, pink, purple, and other colors in full bloom is truly a spring spectacle.
Being just surrounded by the scenery and fragrance feels blissful, doesn’t it?
Essential oil of freesia is very valuable
Generally, products sold as “freesia fragrance” often use synthetic fragrances instead of essential oils (natural fragrances).
This is because the fragrance of freesia flowers is very delicate and very little essential oil can be extracted.
Since it is a very valuable essential oil, it is difficult to deal with it commercially, except for perfumes and other products that particularly use natural fragrances.
Santa Maria Novella, a brand with a long history as the world’s oldest pharmacy, produces “Eau de Cologne Freesia” which focuses on natural ingredients, as its name suggests, is a single floral note type freesia perfume.
It probably attracts many loyal users as a soothing fragrance that allows them to fully enjoy natural freesia.
In recent years, we have seen many fragrances that reproduce the scent of freesia, and we believe that it has become a familiar scent to us as well.
We also introduce below a fragrance containing freesia as a room fragrance, so if you would like to enjoy it in a place of your choice, please try this one as well.
See you again in the next issue of FRAGRANCE.LAB.BLOG!
