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What is the gardenia?
Gardenia is a flowering plant from the Rubiaceae family. It has around 250 species and is native to various tropical regions of the globe located in Africa, South Asia, Australia or Oceania. Its name comes from the botanist Alexander Garden, an 18th century Scottish man. This plant grows on shrubs varying in size from 1 to 15 m high. This contains leaves 5 to 50 cm long and 3 to 25 cm wide, dark green, glossy and leathery. The flowers are most often solitary, sometimes gathered in small groups, white or pale yellow. The latter are divided into a multitude of lobes thus forming a very elegant assembly. The flowering of the gardenia, for its part, takes place from mid-spring to mid-summer. Overall, it isa very fragrant flower with a reputation for being quite difficult to grow. This is because the gardenia needs a high level of humidity to thrive while requiring an acidic and well-drained soil. In the language of flowers, the gardenia is synonymous with unacknowledged love and shyness. In Japan and China, it is used to dye clothes as well as as a food coloring. With us, he owes his salvation to Coco Chanel, true lover of this plant and having decided to make a perfume of it.it is used to dye clothes as well as as a food coloring. With us, he owes his salvation to Coco Chanel, true lover of this plant and having decided to make a perfume of it.it is used to dye clothes as well as as a food coloring. With us, he owes his salvation to Coco Chanel, true lover of this plant and having decided to make a perfume of it.
Gardenia in perfumery
In the wild, the gardenia has very fragrant flowers. The latter are somewhat similar to those of jasmine, which also owes them the name of Cape jasmine. Mainly used in high-end feminine creations, given its high cost, gardenia is often used as a floral accord and is used in the heart of essences. It thus gives it more character while retaining a strong dose of femininity and elegance. Likewise, its green side at the same time evokes tuberose. However, note that perfumers do not extract the essential oil of gardenia from the flower itself. Its scent is reproduced in the laboratory from other essences. In addition, styrallyl acetate is the most widely used synthetic compound to faithfully recreate its scent.The whole thing reveals a floral, green, fruity note and even a metallic touch.
In addition to its presence in the famous Chanel perfume, the gardenia also appears as an essential element in the emblematic Adieu Sagesse by Jean Patou, in Arabian Wood by Tom Ford, in Azalée by Lalique or in Azurée by Estée Lauder.
