Is Dove Tree natural or synthetic?

A fantasy or concept note, not a single material.

Dove Tree

AccordFLOWERSfloral · powdery · fresh

Seven perfumesOne of them is looking at you

HeartPyramid

3/5Strength

—Tenacity

1Origins

Editorial noteWe own no rights to this material, its name or its trademark. This entry is independent editorial journalism, published under freedom of expression.

Specimen

Davidia involucrata

Fantasy/Concept

Definition

A ghostly white-floral whisper. The handkerchief tree's blooms smell like nothing much at all: faint green, a trace of pollen, cool and papery.

WOODY FLORAL GREEN SWEET POWDERY FRESH

HANDKERCHIEF TREE GHOST TREE

Type: Accord
Olfactive family: Florals
Subfamily: Powdery florals
Cluster: Powdery florals
Source: flowers
Chemical class: fantasy note

Instruments

Pyramid

TTop

HHeart

BBase

3/5Strength

Medium

odour strength

Producing countries

China

Scent

Almost scentless in nature, translated into a cool, papery white-floral transparency. Faint green and pollen-like. The impression is of whiteness and movement: fabric in wind. Less sweet than magnolia, less anything than most florals. Defined by absence more than presence.

In PREMIEREPEAU

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

The Full Story

The dove tree (Davidia involucrata) is a rare deciduous tree native to central and western China, famous for its large white bracts that flutter like handkerchiefs or doves in the wind. It is a visually dramatic flowering trees in temperate gardens.

In perfumery, dove tree is a fantasy note. The actual flowers have minimal fragrance: a faint, cool, slightly green quality with a papery-textile suggestion from the tissue-like bracts. The perfumery accord interprets this visual poetry into scent: something white, transparent, and almost weightless.

The note functions as a modifier in white-floral, minimalist, and botanical-concept compositions. It provides a sense of lightness and visual whiteness translated into olfactory terms. The accord is built from transparent floral materials, cool-green molecules, and the faintest white musk base.

—

Did You Know?

The dove tree was discovered by Western science in 1869 by French missionary and naturalist Armand David, but it took another 30 years before seeds were successfully brought to Europe. Ernest Wilson's 1899 expedition to China to collect dove tree seeds is considered one of the great plant-hunting adventures.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method

No commercial extraction. Fantasy accord. The flowers produce negligible volatile compounds.

Formula: N/A — no isolable essential oil
CAS: N/A — no standard commercial essential oil
Botanical: Davidia involucrata
Appearance: N/A — fantasy fragrance accord
Odour strength: Medium
Synonyms: HANDKERCHIEF TREE GHOST TREE

IFRA status

See note

Not applicable: accord or concept, not a single material

Physical properties

Note: Davidia involucrata (handkerchief tree). No commercial essential oil. Fragrance use as reconstructed accord.

In Perfumery

Dove tree is a fantasy modifier in minimalist, white-floral, and botanical-concept compositions. It provides olfactory whiteness and transparency. The note is primarily atmospheric, evoking visual beauty rather than contributing strong scent. Built from the lightest floral materials, cool-green molecules, and barely perceptible white musk.

Role in the formula

01diffusion enhancer

02modifier

03signature note

04lifting agent

05blender

06volume builder

Available as

synthetic accord fantasy note