Elm

Q: Is Elm natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: No commercial extraction exists for elm wood in perfumery. The timber's aromatic content is too low. Small-scale tinctures are possible..

WOODS AND MOSSES / woody · warm · earthy

Elm

Category	WOODS AND MOSSES
Subcategory	woody · warm · earthy
Origin
Volatility	Base Note
Botanical	Ulmus spp.
Appearance	N/A — conceptual woody-green note evoking elm bark and foliage
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	Europe, North America
Pyramid	Base

Green, slightly astringent, faintly sweet bark. Elm wood is a quiet, unremarkable timber — warm, mildly aromatic, with a tannic quality when freshly cut.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Mild, green-woody, faintly astringent-tannic. No strong aromatic character — elm is the wallflower of woods. Warm, slightly sweet, with a green freshness when fresh. Like smelling a freshly cut elm branch — green, mildly woody, unremarkable but pleasant.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Mild green-woody, faintly astringent

After a few hours

Softer, warmer, barely perceptible

After a few days

Very faint woody trace

The Full Story

Elm (Ulmus spp.) wood has a mild, warm, slightly sweet-tannic aromatic character. It is not a standard perfumery material — elm's olfactory profile is too subtle to function as a primary ingredient. The wood is better known for its resistance to water (used for boat keels and water pipes) and its devastating susceptibility to Dutch elm disease.

Freshly cut elm has a green, slightly astringent scent from tannins and sesquiterpenes. Aged elm is milder — warm, faintly sweet, woody without distinction. The inner bark (bast) has a slightly mucilaginous, herbal quality.

Ulmus species are native to the Northern Hemisphere. Dutch elm disease (caused by the fungus Ophiostoma novo-ulmi, spread by bark beetles) has devastated elm populations worldwide since the 1960s.

In perfumery, elm provides a quiet, green-woody note useful as a subtle modifier in naturalistic compositions.

This note in Première Peau. Nuit Elastique · Albâtre Sépia. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

—

Related: Alder · Alpha Humulene · Amaranth · Amberever · Ambramone · Amburana Bark · Antillone · Apple Tree

Did You Know?

Did you know?

Dutch elm disease has killed over 100 million elm trees across Europe and North America since the 1960s — the disease is caused by a fungus carried by bark beetles, and it has fundamentally changed the field of temperate cities that once lined their streets with elms.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: No commercial extraction exists for elm wood in perfumery. The timber's aromatic content is too low. Small-scale tinctures are possible.

Molecular Formula	N/A — complex accord
CAS Number	N/A — no commercial essential oil; fragrance accord
Botanical Name	Ulmus spp.
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	Slippery Elm · American Elm · Wych Elm
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Appearance	N/A — conceptual woody-green note evoking elm bark and foliage

In Perfumery

Elm is a niche woody modifier — too mild for a primary note. Reconstructed from green-woody materials, faint tannic modifiers, and warm wood bases. Functions as a subtle, naturalistic woody note in forest and territory compositions.