Connecting, Highlighting, & Promoting the Black Perfumer
Building an Encyclopedia of Fragrant Materials from the Black Diaspora for Scent-making and Perfumery
Note: This list is a start to what I hope will be a growing resource for perfumers and scent-makers interested in the aromatics from the Black Diaspora. Listings may be either endemic or have become popular cultivations in the listed region over time. I ask you to do further research regarding safety in use.
This List is not Definitive, Your Contributions are Welcome!
See a needed correction? Please get in touch : ) I hope you'll find something here to inspire you!
African Blue Grass (Cymbopogon validus) ~ South Africa
African Geranium (Pelargonium sidoides) ~ South Africa
African Rum Resinoid ~ West Africa
Alligator Pepper, Grains of Paradise (Afromomum meleguetea) ~ West Africa
Ambrette/Musk mallow (Abelmoschus moschatus) ~ East Indies, West Indies, Africa, Australia
Amyris (Amyris balsamifera) ~ Haiti, South America
Blue Lotus (Nymphaea caerulea flower) ~ Egypt
Broad-Tooth Sagebush (Syncolostemon latidens) ~ South Africa
Buchu (Agathosma betulina) ~ South Africa
Camwood/African Sandalwood (Osyris lanceolata) ~ Africa
Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) ~ Africa, Various
Erica Taxifolia ~ South Africa
Eucalyptus Dives ~ South Africa, Australia
Frangipani (Plumeria) ~ Caribbean
Frankincense (Olibanum) ~ Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan
Golden Pagoda (Mimetes chrysanthus) ~ South Africa
Hibiscus ~ Nigeria
Honeybush (Cyclopia) ~ South Africa
Hyraceum musk (Procavia capensis) ~ South Africa
Imphepho Immortelle Helichrysum ~ South Africa
Jasmine ~ Northeast Africa, East Africa
Karo Karounde (Leptactina senegambica hook) ~ Guinea
Leleshwa/African Wild Sage/Mikalambati (Tarchonanthus camphoratus) ~ East Africa
Lemon Bush (Lippia javanica) ~ South Africa
Madagascar Vanilla ~ Madagascar
Mango Leaf (Mangifera indica) ~ Egypt
Maninka Fruit (Oncoba spinosa) ~ South Africa
Mopane (Colophospermum mopane) ~ Namibia
Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha) ~ Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia
Omumbiri (Commiphora wildii) ~ Namibia
Omumgorwa Myrrh (Commiphora tenuipetiolata) ~ Namibia
Opoponax (Commiphora eyrthraea) ~ Somalia
Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) ~ South Africa
Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) ~ Caribbean, Central Africa, West Africa
Sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) ~ Australia
Starry Wild Jasmine (Jasminum multipartitum) ~ South Africa
Thiouraye Gowe ~ Senegalese scent traditions
Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides) ~ Haiti
West Indian Bay Leaf (Pimenta racemosa) ~ Caribbean
Wild Rosemary (Eriocephalus africanus/racemosus) ~ South Africa
Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata) ~ Comoros Islands