Cananga odorata seed | Ylang Ylang

Cananga odorata seed

LATIN NAME: Cananga odorata COMMON NAME: Ylang Ylang

Botanical Profile

Ylang ylang is native to tropical Southeast Asia and parts of the Pacific, growing into a fast, tall tree with long, drooping branches and distinctive, star-shaped, yellow-green flowers that release one of the most intensely fragrant scents of any tropical flower, particularly strong in the cool evening air. Its unusual flower shape, with long, twisted, ribbon-like petals, is immediately distinctive even before the fragrance is noticed.

Science & Conservation

Ylang ylang essential oil, distilled from the flowers, is one of the most significant natural ingredients in the global perfume industry, forming a base note in numerous classic and contemporary fragrances, including famously as a component of Chanel No. 5, and the specific aromatic compounds responsible for its complex scent profile have been studied extensively within flavour and fragrance chemistry research. This substantial commercial demand has made ylang ylang cultivation and oil distillation an economically important industry across parts of Madagascar, the Comoros and Southeast Asia.

Landscape & Practical Uses

Ylang ylang flowers and their distilled essential oil remain central ingredients in perfumery and aromatherapy worldwide, valued for a complex, intensely floral scent that few other natural fragrances match. Beyond commercial oil production, the tree itself, with its unusual drooping form and star-shaped flowers, also offers genuine ornamental appeal for tropical gardens with room for its eventual substantial size.

Growing From Seed

Fresh seed germinates most reliably; sow it into a loose, free-draining tropical mix and keep it warm and consistently moist. Bright light suits the young tree well, and it typically grows quickly, in time producing the intensely fragrant flowers that have made the species so globally significant to the perfume industry.

Our Take

We think growing your own ylang ylang is a genuinely wonderful project for anyone who loves fragrance – there is something special about growing the actual source of a scent you might already recognise from a favourite perfume.

Herb Seeds