Is Pansy natural or synthetic?

A fantasy or concept note, not a single material.

Pansy

AccordFLOWERSfloral · green · fresh

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

Viola tricolor

Fantasy/Concept

Definition

Green, faintly violet-like, with a waxy, powdery softness. Pansy smells like a smaller, quieter version of violet -- less sweet, more leafy, with an earthy, root-like undertone.

FLORAL GREEN SWEET FRESH

heartsease, Johnny jump-up, wild pansy

Type: Accord
Olfactive family: Florals
Subfamily: Green florals
Cluster: Green-fresh florals
Source: flowers

Instruments

Pyramid

TTop

HHeart

BBase

3/5Strength

Medium

odour strength

Producing countries

Europe

Scent

Green, faintly violet, with a waxy-powdery softness and an earthy undertone. Quieter and less sweet than violet, more leafy, with the specific garden-bed quality of a plant close to the soil. The ionone is present but restrained -- a whisper rather than a statement. Think of wild heartsease on a hedgerow rather than Parma violets in a box.

In PREMIEREPEAU

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

The Full Story

Pansy (Viola tricolor and Viola x wittrockiana hybrids) is a garden flower in the violet family. Its fragrance is mild and inconsistent across varieties -- many modern cultivars bred for visual impact have lost whatever scent their wild ancestors carried. Wild heartsease (V. tricolor) has a faint, green-violet character.

In perfumery, pansy is a fantasy note capturing a quieter, greener interpretation of violet: ionone-based (for the violet character) but with more green-leaf, less powdery sweetness, and a faint earthy-root quality. Construction uses alpha-isomethyl ionone (green-violet), cis-3-hexenol (green leaf), and a trace of orris-type powderiness.

Functionally, pansy works as a green-violet modifier in the heart zone. It provides a garden-flower reference more humble and less regal than violet itself. Works in garden, green-floral, and cottage-style compositions.

—

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method

No commercial pansy essential oil or absolute exists. The note is an entirely synthetic fantasy accord.

Formula: Key compounds include methyl salicylate (C₈H₈O₃), methyl 2-aminobenzoate (C₈H₉NO₂)
CAS: N/A — natural extract (absolute), complex mixture
Botanical: Viola tricolor
Appearance: Dark green to brown viscous liquid (absolute) with sweet, powdery, green-floral odor
Odour strength: Medium
Synonyms: heartsease, Johnny jump-up, wild pansy

IFRA status

See note

Not applicable: accord or concept, not a single material

Physical properties

Note: Absolute obtained by solvent extraction of Viola tricolor flowers; very low yield

In Perfumery

Pansy is a green-violet fantasy heart-note modifier: alpha-isomethyl ionone (green-violet), cis-3-hexenol (green leaf), orris-type powderiness. Quieter and greener than violet. A humble garden-flower reference. Works in garden, green-floral, and cottage-style compositions.

Role in the formula

01diffusion enhancer

02modifier

03signature note

04lifting agent

05blender

06volume builder

Available as

synthetic accord fantasy note