Coleus

NaturalGREENS, HERBS & FOUGERESfresh · green · spicy

HeartPyramid

3/5Strength

200hTenacity

4Origins

Specimen

Coleus scutellarioides (syn. Plectranthus scutellarioides)

Definition

Green, pungent, faintly camphor-minty. Coleus leaves smell like a sharp, slightly medicinal herb garden -- more paint-palette than perfume, vegetal and slightly acrid.

GREEN SPICY HERBAL WARM FRESH

Plectranthus scutellarioides, Painted Nettle

Type: Ingredient
Olfactive family: Aromatic
Subfamily: Herbal aromatics
Cluster: Green-herbal notes
Source: leaves and flowering tops
Chemical class: complex natural (essential oil)

Instruments

Pyramid

TTop

HHeart

BBase

3/5Strength

Medium

odour strength

Tenacity on blotter

200hours · 8 days

1 h6 h24 h3 d7 d400 h

Producing countries

India Indonesia Madagascar Kenya

Scent

Sharp, pungent, herbaceous-green with a camphor-minty edge. More forceful than basil, less pleasant than peppermint, with a vegetal acidity. The carvacrol and thymol give it a medicinal-herbal sharpness. The impression is of crushing a houseplant leaf between your fingers -- potent, green, slightly unpleasant.

In PREMIEREPEAU

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

The Full Story

Coleus (Coleus scutellarioides, syn. Plectranthus scutellarioides, Solenostemon) is a tropical plant grown primarily for its dramatic multicoloured foliage. The leaves, when crushed, release a pungent, slightly camphor-minty, herbaceous-green aroma. The scent is more notable for its forcefulness than its beauty.

The volatile profile includes carvacrol (oregano-like pungency), thymol (thyme-like warmth), and various monoterpenes. The plant belongs to the Lamiaceae (mint family), and the family resemblance shows: there is a mint-herbal backbone underneath the pungent green-leaf character.

In perfumery, coleus is a rare note used for hyper-realistic green or garden-themed compositions. It provides a specific, recognisable houseplant reference. Works in the top-to-heart zone as a sharp, herbaceous-green modifier.

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

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method

No standardised coleus essential oil is commercially produced for perfumery. The note is typically reconstructed from carvacrol, thymol, and green-leaf elements.

Formula: Complex natural mixture (key: carvacrol C₁₀H₁₄O, thymol C₁₀H₁₄O)
CAS: N/A — natural plant essential oil, no single CAS
Botanical: Coleus scutellarioides (syn. Plectranthus scutellarioides)
Appearance: Pale yellow to amber liquid
Odour strength: Medium
Lasting power: 200 hours
Synonyms: Plectranthus scutellarioides, Painted Nettle

IFRA status

See note

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

Physical properties

Boiling point: 230–250 °C (major constituents)
Specific gravity: 0.92–0.96 @ 25 °C
Refractive index: 1.495–1.510 @ 20 °C
Note: Coleus essential oil is steam-distilled from leaves

In Perfumery

Coleus is a sharp, pungent herbaceous-green modifier for the top-to-heart zone. Carvacrol (oregano-pungent), thymol (thyme-warm), and green monoterpenes. Lamiaceae family character. A hyper-realistic houseplant-garden note. Works in botanical-naturalistic and garden-themed compositions.

Role in the formula

01signature note

02lifting agent

03blender

04volume builder

05freshness

Available as

essential oil