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Crithmum

Q: Is Crithmum natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Steam distillation of the aerial parts of Crithmum maritimum. Small-scale production, primarily in Mediterranean coastal regions. The plant is protected in some jurisdictions..

GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES / fresh · green · aromatic

Crithmum

Category	GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES
Subcategory	fresh · green · aromatic
Origin
Volatility	Heart Note
Botanical	Crithmum maritimum
Appearance	colorless to pale yellow clear liquid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Turkey
Pyramid	Heart

Green, salty-herbal, and coastal. Sea fennel growing on Mediterranean cliffs -- aromatic, saline, and resilient. The smell of the maquis meeting the sea.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Green, salty, and herbal. Like plucking a sprig of sea fennel from a Mediterranean cliff face -- the crushed leaves release a fennel-like herbaceous sharpness layered over the salt of the sea spray. Aromatic, coastal, and distinctly place-specific.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Bright, green-herbal, salty. Fennel-like and coastal.

After a few hours

The green settles. Warm, aromatic, herbal warmth with residual salt.

After a few days

A subtle, herbal-saline residue. Clean and Mediterranean.

The Full Story

Crithmum (Crithmum maritimum), commonly called sea fennel or samphire, is a halophytic plant native to the rocky coastlines of the Mediterranean, Atlantic Europe, and the Black Sea. It grows in the spray zone of sea cliffs, in rock crevices where salt, wind, and sun converge.

The plant produces an essential oil rich in dillapiole, sabinene, gamma-terpinene, and thymol methyl ether. The aroma is distinctly green-herbal with a pronounced salty-coastal quality: part fennel, part sea air, part aromatic herb. It captures the olfactory character of the Mediterranean maquis where it meets the shore.

In perfumery, crithmum is a niche material offering an authentic coastal-herbal terroir. It provides the specific quality of salt-sprayed herbs that generic marine or green notes cannot replicate. The material is occasionally available as a steam-distilled essential oil, though production is small.

Crithmum functions in the top-to-heart range, providing aromatic, salty-green freshness.

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

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

Did You Know?

Did you know?

Shakespeare references samphire (sea fennel) gathering in King Lear (Act IV, Scene VI): "Half way down hangs one that gathers samphire -- dreadful trade!" The plant was harvested from dangerous cliff faces for use as a pickled condiment and anti-scurvy food.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Steam distillation of the aerial parts of Crithmum maritimum. Small-scale production, primarily in Mediterranean coastal regions. The plant is protected in some jurisdictions.

Molecular Formula	Complex mixture — key components: dillapiole (C₁₂H₁₄O₄), γ-terpinene (C₁₀H₁₆), thymol methyl ether (C₁₁H₁₆O)
CAS Number	89997-98-8
Botanical Name	Crithmum maritimum
IFRA Status	Restricted — contains beta-damascenone (sensitizer). IFRA limits apply.
Synonyms	ROCK SAMPHIRE · SEA ASPARAGUS
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Appearance	colorless to pale yellow clear liquid
Specific Gravity	0.890 to 0.930 @ 25 °C (est)

In Perfumery

Top-to-heart note in Mediterranean, coastal-herbal, and maquis-inspired compositions. Functions as an aromatic, salty-green element with authentic coastal terroir. Built on dillapiole, sabinene, and thymol methyl ether. Pairs with rosemary, cistus, and marine notes.