Burnt sugar, caramel, cotton candy — unmistakably sweet and gourmand, yet from a forest floor. The maltol character is so strong that walking through a grove of katsura in October feels like standing next to a confectionery. Warmer than synthetic maltol alone — the leaf context adds an earthy, slightly damp undertone.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Strong burnt-sugar caramel, cotton candy, sweet
After a few hours
After a few hours
Softer, warmer caramel, faintly earthy-leafy
After a few days
After a few days
Persistent gentle maltol sweetness, warm
The Full Story
Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) is a Japanese tree whose fallen autumn leaves produce a surprising scents in the botanical world: a strong, unmistakable smell of burnt sugar, caramel, and cotton candy. The compound responsible is maltol (3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4-pyrone), released as the leaves decompose.
Maltol is the same molecule used commercially in cotton candy flavoring. In katsura leaves, it is generated by the enzymatic breakdown of kojibiose and related sugars during senescence. The scent is strongest on warm, damp autumn days when decomposition is active.
Cercidiphyllum japonicum is native to Japan and China. It is one of the oldest flowering tree lineages, with fossil records dating back 65 million years. The tree is widely planted as an ornamental in temperate gardens worldwide.
In perfumery, katsura leaf provides a natural caramel-gourmand note with a forest-floor context — sweetness in an unlikely setting.
Cercidiphyllum japonicum is a living fossil — the genus dates to the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 65 million years ago. The same tree that produces cotton-candy-scented leaves coexisted with dinosaurs.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: No standard commercial extraction for perfumery. Katsura leaf tincture (alcohol maceration of dried autumn leaves) is used by some artisan perfumers. Maltol is commercially produced by synthesis or from bark of several tree species. CO2 extraction of katsura leaves has been explored but is not standard.
Molecular Formula
Key aroma compound: maltol (C₆H₆O₃)
CAS Number
118-71-8 (maltol, key aroma compound of fallen katsura leaves)
Botanical Name
Cercidiphyllum japonicum
IFRA Status
No known restrictions
Synonyms
KATSURA · CERCIDIPHYLLUM · KATSURA TREE
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
Medium
Appearance
N/A — not extracted as essential oil; scent reconstructed via maltol and related molecules
In Perfumery
Katsura leaf provides a natural caramel-gourmand note. The maltol (CAS 118-71-8) content is the primary odorant. Functions in gourmand, autumn, and forest-themed compositions. The natural context — sweet decay in a forest — adds poetic dimension. Reconstructed from maltol, ethyl maltol, and dried-leaf modifiers. Pairs with woods, musks, and warm bases.
