Creosote Bush

NaturalGREENS, HERBS & FOUGERESearthy · green · amber

HeartPyramid

—Strength

—Tenacity

2Origins

Specimen

Creosote Bush perfume ingredient — Heart

Larrea tridentata

Definition

Creosote bush is Larrea tridentata, a shrub with resinous leaves. In the regions where it grows, its smell is often associated with the smell of rain.

GREEN EARTHY SWEET FRESH RESINOUS

creosotebush

Type: Ingredient
Olfactive family: Aromatic
Subfamily: Green notes
Cluster: Green leafy notes
Source: leaves

Instruments

Pyramid

TTop

HHeart

BBase

Producing countries

Mexico United States

Scent

The whole plant has a characteristic odor of creosote, from which the common name derives. The resinous leaves emit a distinctive, easily recognized smell. The leaves are strongly scented. The scent of the resinous leaves intensifies in rain.

In PREMIEREPEAU

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

The Full Story

Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) is an evergreen shrub growing to 1 to 3 m tall, rarely 4 m. It is a prominent species in the Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of western North America. It belongs to the family Zygophyllaceae. Its range takes in parts of southeastern California, Arizona, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, New Mexico and Texas in the United States, and Chihuahua, Sonora, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Zacatecas, Durango and San Luis Potosí in Mexico.

The leaves are resinous and dark green, with two opposite leaflets joined at the base. The flowers have five yellow petals, and the fruit is a brown-burgundy spherical, fuzzy capsule.

Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) is a classic lignan and a natural compound found in the creosote bush. The resins of the plant have been reported to contain a rich set of volatile organic compounds. Field measurements recorded emissions of aromatic compounds including benzene and a broad range of phenolics. Dimethyl sulfide emissions from the plant are higher than reported from any previously studied plant.

As the creosote bush grows older, its oldest branches eventually die and its crown splits into separate crowns. The old crown eventually dies, and the new crowns form a clonal colony of separate stems that all grew from the same seed. Cloned individuals sometimes form a ring around the original plant.

Creosote bush is host to the insect Tachardiella larreae, which produces lac and deposits it on the stems. Lac is plastic when heated but hardens again on cooling, forming a strong bond like commercial sealing wax.

The plant may cause dermatitis in humans and animals. Renal toxicity and hepatotoxicity are reported for chronic internal use of creosote bush and NDGA.

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Related: Acronychia Pedunculata · Adoxal · Agave · Algae · Aloe Vera · Aromatic Notes · Asparagus · Avocado

Did You Know?

King Clone, a creosote bush ring in the central Mojave Desert near Lucerne Valley, California, is estimated to be 11,700 years old, one of the oldest living organisms on Earth.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method

The essential oil is obtained by hydrodistillation of the dried leaves collected at the flowering stage, with a yield of 0.15% from plant material at 5% moisture.

Formula: Complex natural mixture (key constituents: nordihydroguaiaretic acid C₁₈H₂₂O₄)
Botanical: Larrea tridentata
Appearance: Evergreen shrub with resinous, dark green leaves, yellow flowers and round fruits covered in long white hairs
Synonyms: creosotebush

IFRA status

See note

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

Physical properties

Specific gravity: 0.9665 (25 °C, essential oil)
Refractive index: 1.4711 (essential oil)

In Perfumery

A solvent extract of the plant, listed in cosmetics under the name Larrea divaricata extract, serves as an antioxidant and as a fragrance ingredient that enhances the smell of a product.

Role in the formula

01modifier

02signature note

03blender

04volume builder

05freshness

Available as

essential oil absolute