Chuan Xiong

NaturalGREENS, HERBS & FOUGERESgreen · fresh · spicy

HeartPyramid

3/5Strength

—Tenacity

1Origins

Specimen

Ligusticum chuanxiong

Definition

Sharp, warm, herbaceous-celery with a distinctly medicinal edge. Chuan xiong smells like a Chinese herbal pharmacy drawer pulled open -- aromatic, pungent, slightly musty, complex.

SZECHUAN LOVAGE CHUAN XIONG ROOT

Type: Ingredient
Olfactive family: Aromatic
Subfamily: Herbal aromatics
Cluster: Green-herbal notes
Source: rhizome/root
Chemical class: complex natural (essential oil)

Instruments

Pyramid

TTop

HHeart

BBase

3/5Strength

Medium

odour strength

Producing countries

China

Scent

Warm, herbal-celery, medicinal, with a particular phthalide lactone character. More complex and warmer than lovage, less anisic than angelica, with a specifically Chinese herbal-pharmacy quality. The ligustilide provides a sweet-warm depth underneath the sharp herbal top. Pungent but not aggressive -- aromatic rather than acrid.

In PREMIEREPEAU

DISCOVERY SET7 × 2 ml →EXTRAIT DE PARFUMThe seven extraits →

Terroir & Transformation

The Full Story

Chuan xiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong, syn. L. wallichii) is a perennial herb in the Apiaceae family, cultivated primarily in Sichuan province. Its dried rhizome is an important herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), used for over 2,000 years primarily for blood-moving and pain-relieving applications.

The essential oil, steam-distilled from the dried rhizome, is dominated by ligustilide (a phthalide lactone with a warm, celery-like, slightly sweet character), butylidene phthalide, and senkyunolide. These phthalides give chuan xiong its particular warm, herbal-celery-medicinal profile, quite different from European Apiaceae like lovage or angelica.

In perfumery, chuan xiong is a niche ingredient providing a specifically Chinese herbal-medicinal character. It functions in the heart zone as an aromatic modifier. The ligustilide-dominant profile is warm, complex, and irreplaceable by Western herbs. The note works in TCM-inspired, contemplative, and East Asian-themed compositions.

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Related: Alpha Pinene · Angelica · Angelica Root · Angelica Root Oil · Artemisia · Barrenwort · Beachheather · Behini Tree

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method

Steam distillation of dried rhizomes of Ligusticum chuanxiong. Oil yield is approximately 1-2%. The oil is yellow to brownish with a strong, warm, herbaceous-celery odour. Major production in Sichuan, China.

Formula: Key compound: ligustilide C₁₂H₁₄O₂
Botanical: Ligusticum chuanxiong
Appearance: Pale yellow to amber liquid
Odour strength: Medium
Synonyms: SZECHUAN LOVAGE CHUAN XIONG ROOT

IFRA status

See note

No IFRA Standard for the material itself (51st Amendment)

Physical properties

Specific gravity: 0.940 to 0.980 @ 25 °C (est)
Note: Steam-distilled essential oil from Ligusticum chuanxiong rhizome. Key compound: ligustilide.

In Perfumery

Chuan xiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong) oil is a niche aromatic heart-note modifier providing specifically Chinese herbal-medicinal character. Its phthalide lactone profile (ligustilide, butylidene phthalide, senkyunolide) is warm, celery-like, and irreplaceable by Western herbs. Works in TCM-inspired, contemplative, and East Asian-themed compositions alongside camphor, borneol, and incense accords.

Role in the formula

01diffusion enhancer

02modifier

03signature note

04lifting agent

05blender

06volume builder

Available as

essential oil synthetic accord