Red Willow

NaturalWOODS & MOSSESwoody · earthy · sweet

HeartPyramid

3/5Strength

—Tenacity

2Origins

Specimen

Salix laevigata / Cornus sericea (depending on tradition)

Definition

Bitter-green, bark-astringent, faintly aspirin-like. Red willow smells of salicin — the chemical precursor to aspirin, leaching from wet, red-tinged bark.

WOODY GREEN EARTHY SWEET WARM FRESH RESINOUS

SALIX WILLOW SALIX ALBA SALIX FRAGILIS

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

Instruments

Pyramid

TTop

HHeart

BBase

3/5Strength

Medium

odour strength

Producing countries

Europe North America

Scent

Bitter-green, bark-astringent, faintly medicinal. Wet red bark by a river — the salicin gives it a wintergreen-aspirin edge. Cold, austere, and pharmaceutical. No warmth, no sweetness.

In PREMIEREPEAU

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

The Full Story

Red willow (Salix laevigata or various red-barked Salix species) has a particular bark scent: bitter-green, astringent, with the faint medicinal quality of salicin — the compound that Bayer synthesized into aspirin in 1897.

The scent is wet bark, green-bitter, slightly medicinal. Not sweet, not warm. The salicin/salicylic acid character gives it a phenolic, almost wintergreen edge. More austere than most wood notes.

In perfumery, red willow is a niche concept providing bitter-bark character. It functions in green, aquatic-riverside, and medicinal compositions. The aspirin-adjacent quality gives it a specific, recognizable edge.

Willows are riparian trees — their roots hold riverbanks together. The red bark color comes from anthocyanin pigments, the same compounds that redden autumn leaves.

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

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method

No standard perfumery extraction of red willow specifically. Willow bark tinctures exist in herbal medicine. The perfumery note is largely conceptual.

Formula: Key compound: salicin C₁₃H₁₈O₇
CAS: N/A — natural wood extract, no single CAS
Botanical: Salix laevigata / Cornus sericea (depending on tradition)
Appearance: Pale yellow to amber viscous liquid
Odour strength: Medium
Synonyms: SALIX WILLOW SALIX ALBA SALIX FRAGILIS

IFRA status

See note

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

Physical properties

Note: Red willow wood note in perfumery. Key natural compound: salicin. No standard commercial essential oil.

In Perfumery

Niche concept note providing bitter-bark, salicin-tinged character. Functions in green, riverside, and medicinal compositions. The aspirin-adjacent quality provides specific recognition. Built from methyl salicylate (trace), green-bark synthetics, bitter elements.

Role in the formula

01fixative

02modifier

03signature note

04blender

05naturalizer

06volume builder

Available as

essential oil