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The exoticism of freesia
The freesia is a bulb plant that comes directly from South Africa, and more particularly from the Cape Province. The latter is cultivated for its very fragrant flowers but also for its appearance with varied and vibrant colors. It belongs to the Iridaceae family and its name comes from the botanist Ecklon who decided to call it that way in 1866, in honor of a German doctor called Fresse. This herbaceous plant grows in early winter and forms a tuft of narrow leaves 10 to 30 cm long. Freesia flowers, on the other hand, first bloom in early spring and develop in clusters. The whole unfolds in the form of a spike with six petals. These can be white, yellow or purple and release a very heady scent,somewhat similar to that of jasmine. In general, freesia is a flower that adapts very well to drought and which particularly appreciates the Mediterranean climate. It is an ornamental plant that gardeners like to transform according to hybridizations, always giving more possibilities of bright and luminous colors.
Freesia, a note widely used in perfumery
Apart from its eccentric look, freesia is also a plant much appreciated by perfumers. It is even one of the most widely used flowers in perfumery. Its scent is both floral and luminous. It is similar to that of jasmine or orange blossom while having suave, almost fruity accents. However, its odor cannot be extracted and must therefore be reproduced in the laboratory from other raw materials or through the use of the head space technique, a method developed in the 1970s and aimed at reconstituting the natural scents of 'a flower as they exist in nature and without damaging them.
The freesia is thus invited just as much in the perfumes for men as for women. On the male side, he is present in the emblematic Acqua Di Gio by Armani, in Allure pour Homme by Chanel or in Arabian Wood by Tom Ford. In women, on the other hand, he proudly appears in Alaïa Paris by Azzedine Alaïa, in Alien Acqua Chic by Thierry Mugler or in Ame Coquine by Chantal Thomass.
