Is Paper Mulberry natural or synthetic?

A fantasy or concept note, not a single material.

Paper Mulberry

AccordWOODS & MOSSESwoody · fruity · earthy

BasePyramid

3/5Strength

—Tenacity

3Origins

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

Paper Mulberry perfume ingredient — Base

Broussonetia papyrifera

Fantasy/Concept

Definition

Green-woody dryness with a papery, fibrous quality. Like tearing a sheet of handmade washi -- dry cellulose, faint sap, a ghost of green bark.

WOODY GREEN EARTHY SWEET WARM FRESH

BROUSSONETIA KOZO PAPER TREE

Type: Accord
Olfactive family: Woods
Subfamily: Earthy woods
Cluster: Earthy woods
Source: wood

Instruments

Pyramid

TTop

HHeart

BBase

3/5Strength

Medium

odour strength

Producing countries

China Japan Southeast Asia

Scent

Dry, fibrous, and faintly green. Imagine a stack of handmade paper in a quiet workshop -- the smell of dried bark fiber, a trace of vegetable starch, cool cellulose. No sweetness, no resin. Pure texture translated into scent.

In PREMIEREPEAU

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

The Full Story

Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) is a deciduous tree native to East Asia, cultivated for centuries for its bark fiber, which is used to make traditional Japanese washi paper, Korean hanji, and Polynesian tapa cloth. In perfumery, paper mulberry is a fantasy note -- the tree is not commercially extracted for aromatic materials.

The accord aims to capture a specific texture: the dry, cellulosic quality of handmade paper, with a faint vegetal undertone from the living bark. Perfumers achieve this using dry woody materials (Iso E Super, cedryl acetate), transparent musks (Habanolide, ethylene brassylate), and a papery-ozonic element that suggests parchment rather than fresh wood.

In a composition, paper mulberry occupies the base. It provides a quiet, matte backdrop -- the olfactory equivalent of unbleached linen or raw cotton. It grounds heavier notes without competing with them.

The note works in minimalist, transparent-woody, and textile-inspired compositions. It is most effective when paired with other "dry" materials: cedar, iris, vetiver, or clean musks.

—

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

Did You Know?

Japanese washi paper, made from the inner bark of Broussonetia papyrifera, can last over 1,000 years. UNESCO inscribed the traditional washi-making craft on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2014.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method

Not extracted from nature. Paper mulberry is a fantasy accord in perfumery, reconstructed from dry woody synthetics, clean musks, and cellulosic-ozonic elements.

Formula: Complex mixture (no single formula)
CAS: N/A — no standard perfumery CAS for Broussonetia papyrifera
Botanical: Broussonetia papyrifera
Odour strength: Medium
Synonyms: BROUSSONETIA KOZO PAPER TREE

IFRA status

See note

Not applicable: accord or concept, not a single material

Physical properties

Note: No commercial essential oil. Plant used historically for paper and bark cloth. Contains flavonoids, alkaloids, coumarins

In Perfumery

Base note in minimalist and transparent-woody compositions. Functions as a textural backdrop rather than a dominant note, providing a dry, matte quality that grounds heavier materials. Built from woody-transparent molecules (Iso E Super, cedryl acetate), clean musks, and ozonic-papery elements. Useful in textile-inspired and skin-scent formulas.

Role in the formula

01modifier

02signature note

03blender

04volume builder

05freshness

Available as

synthetic accord fantasy note