Ravenala

NaturalWOODS & MOSSESwoody · green · fresh

HeartPyramid

3/5Strength

—Tenacity

1Origins

Specimen

Ravenala madagascariensis

Definition

Green, waxy-tropical, faintly starchy. The traveller's tree smells of massive tropical leaves and stored rainwater — vegetal, humid, alive.

WOODY GREEN WARM FRESH TROPICAL RESINOUS

TRAVELER'S TREE

Type: Ingredient
Olfactive family: Woods
Subfamily: Classic woods
Cluster: Earthy woods
Source: wood
Chemical class: complex natural (essential oil)

Instruments

Pyramid

TTop

HHeart

BBase

3/5Strength

Medium

odour strength

Producing countries

Madagascar

Scent

Green, waxy-tropical, starchy. Massive leaf territory — think banana leaf but larger, less fruity, more architectural. Humid air, stored water, chlorophyll-rich foliage. Vegetal density without sweetness.

In PREMIEREPEAU

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

The Full Story

Ravenala (Ravenala madagascariensis), the traveller's tree or traveller's palm (actually a member of Strelitziaceae, not a palm), is native to Madagascar. Its enormous fan-shaped leaf arrangement is unmistakable.

No commercial extraction exists. The concept note captures the scent of massive tropical foliage: waxy green, starchy, humid, with the stored-water quality of leaf bases that collect rainwater. Related to banana and heliconia scents.

The name 'traveller's tree' comes from the water stored in leaf bases, which thirsty travelers could drink — though the water is often stagnant and insect-inhabited. The leaves can reach 3 meters in length.

—

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

Did You Know?

Ravenala is pollinated by ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata) — one of the few examples of mammalian pollination outside the bat world. The lemurs open the tough flower bracts with their hands to access nectar, getting pollen on their snouts in the process.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method

No commercial extraction exists.

Formula: N/A — complex natural material
CAS: N/A — natural plant material
Botanical: Ravenala madagascariensis
Appearance: Pale yellow to amber viscous liquid
Odour strength: Medium
Synonyms: TRAVELER'S TREE

IFRA status

See note

No IFRA Standard for the material itself (51st Amendment)

Physical properties

Note: Ravenala madagascariensis (Traveller's Tree) — no commercial essential oil produced; used as exotic olfactory concept

In Perfumery

Fantasy tropical-green note providing massive-leaf character. No extraction exists. Built from waxy-green, starchy, and humid-tropical elements. Functions in tropical and green compositions seeking vegetal scale and density.

Role in the formula

01modifier

02signature note

03blender

04naturalizer

05volume builder

06freshness

Available as

essential oil