Home › Glossary › Calycanthus

Calycanthus

Q: Is Calycanthus natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Small-scale steam distillation or solvent extraction. No widely traded commercial oil. Volatile profile studied academically but production remains artisanal..

GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES / floral · warm · spicy

Calycanthus

Category	GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES
Subcategory	floral · warm · spicy
Origin
Volatility	Heart Note
Botanical	Calycanthus floridus
Appearance	Pale yellow to amber liquid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	United States
Pyramid	Heart

Fruity-spicy, wine-like, with strawberry-banana-clove complexity. Carolina allspice produces a complex single-flower scents in the plant kingdom.

Scent
Terroir & Origins
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

notably complex: ripe strawberry meets clove spice meets fermented wine. Banana-ester fruitiness mixed with eugenol warmth. No single quality dominates — the scent shifts and shimmers. Warmer than fruit, fruitier than spice. Genuinely unusual.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Fruity-ester burst, banana-strawberry, clove spice

After a few hours

Wine-like warmth, eugenol depth

After a few days

Warm spicy-fruity persistence, complex slow fade

Terroir & Transformation

Indicative 2025 wholesale prices.

The Full Story

Calycanthus (Calycanthus floridus), Carolina allspice or sweetshrub, produces a aromatically complex temperate flowers. Reddish-brown strap-petaled blooms emit scent variously described as strawberry, banana, wine, clove, bubblegum.

Volatile chemistry includes ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate (banana), eugenol (clove), cinnamate esters, and fruity compounds. This notable complexity from a single flower source is unusual.

No widely traded commercial oil or absolute exists. The reconstructed accord blends fruity esters, clove-eugenol, and wine-like elements. Thomas Jefferson grew it at Monticello.

Native to the southeastern United States. The seeds contain calycanthine, a strychnine-like alkaloid.

This note in Première Peau. Simili Mirage · Gravitas Capitale. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

—

Related: 4 Methylanisole · Almaciga · Arnica · Assam Tea · Camphor · Canvas · Carvone · Davana

Did You Know?

Did you know?

Calycanthus seeds contain calycanthine, structurally similar to strychnine. Early settlers used the bark as a cinnamon substitute and fever treatment — unaware the plant contains compounds toxic enough to cause seizures.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Small-scale steam distillation or solvent extraction. No widely traded commercial oil. Volatile profile studied academically but production remains artisanal.

↑ See Terroir & Origins for origin-specific methods.

Molecular Formula	Complex mixture — key compounds: calycanthine (C₂₂H₂₆N₂), linalool, benzyl alcohol
CAS Number	N/A — no standard CAS for Calycanthus essential oil
Botanical Name	Calycanthus floridus
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	Carolina allspice, sweet shrub
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Lasting Power	48 hours
Appearance	Pale yellow to amber liquid

In Perfumery

Rare natural/niche note of notable complexity. The combination of fruity esters, eugenol, and cinnamate in a single source is unique. Functions in niche and avant-garde compositions. Resists categorization — neither purely floral nor gourmand.