GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES / green · fresh · fruity
Green Notes
Category
GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES
Subcategory
green · fresh · fruity
Origin
Volatility
Heart Note
Botanical
N/A — olfactory category
Appearance
Pale yellow to amber liquid
Odor Strength
Medium
Producing Countries
N/A — olfactory category
Pyramid
Heart
The broad family of leaf, stem, and sap scents. Green notes in perfumery run from violent leaf-crush to gentle dewy grass, unified by cis-3-hexenol and related molecules.
Broad and varied, unified by the sharp, vegetal freshness of cis-3-hexenol chemistry. Crushed-leaf green is sharp and aldehydic. Dewy green is soft and fresh. Stem green is slightly bitter-vegetal. Grass green is sweet and hay-like. The common thread is the scent of chlorophyll-producing living tissue, damaged or intact.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Sharp green-leaf burst (cis-3-hexenol)
After a few hours
After a few hours
Softer dewy-vegetal, herbaceous depth
After a few days
After a few days
Gentle green residue or transition to base
The Full Story
Green notes is an olfactory category encompassing all scents derived from or inspired by plant leaves, stems, sap, and unripe vegetation. It is one of the foundational fragrance families, representing the living, photosynthesizing side of nature.
The key molecule is cis-3-hexenol (leaf alcohol, CAS 928-96-1), released when plant cells are damaged. Related molecules include cis-3-hexenyl acetate (leaf acetate), trans-2-hexenal (leaf aldehyde), and galbanum oil (one of the richest natural sources of green character). These 'green leaf volatiles' are chemical stress signals that plants produce when damaged.
The category divides into subfamilies: crushed-leaf green (sharp, aldehydic), dewy-morning green (soft, fresh), stem-sap green (vegetal, slightly bitter), and grass green (sweet, hay-adjacent). Each has its own molecular toolkit and compositional role.
In perfumery, green notes function primarily as top-to-heart modifiers, providing freshness, naturalism, and a sense of living vegetation. The chypre family depends on green elements, and the galbanum-forward 'green chypre' became a major genre in the 1960s-70s.
This note in Première Peau. Simili Mirage · Gravitas Capitale. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.
Green leaf volatiles (GLVs) are a plant's emergency broadcast system. When a caterpillar chews a tomato leaf, the damaged cells release cis-3-hexenal within seconds. Neighboring plants detect it and preemptively activate insecticide-producing genes. Some plants even release GLVs that attract the caterpillar's predators, effectively calling for reinforcements.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Natural green materials include galbanum oil and absolute, violet leaf absolute, and various leaf oils. Most green character in contemporary use comes from synthetic molecules: cis-3-hexenol, cis-3-hexenyl acetate, and cis-3-hexenyl salicylate are workhorses of the category.
Molecular Formula
N/A — olfactory category
CAS Number
N/A — olfactory category, not a single molecule
Botanical Name
N/A — olfactory category
IFRA Status
No known restrictions
Synonyms
verdant notes, fresh notes
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
Medium
Appearance
Pale yellow to amber liquid
In Perfumery
Green notes is a foundational top-to-heart category providing freshness and naturalistic vegetation character. Key molecules: cis-3-hexenol, cis-3-hexenyl acetate, trans-2-hexenal, and galbanum oil. Essential in chypre compositions and in any fragrance seeking naturalistic plant character. The 'green chypre' genre (1960s-70s) strengthens green notes to a defining compositional role.
