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Stems Greens

Q: Is Stems Greens natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Green leaf volatiles are produced synthetically. Galbanum oil is steam-distilled from Ferula galbaniflua resin..

GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES / green · fresh · aromatic

Stems Greens

Category	GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES
Subcategory	green · fresh · aromatic
Origin
Volatility	Top Note
Botanical	N/A — olfactory accord (green, vegetal, stem-like notes)
Appearance	Pale yellow to amber liquid
Odor Strength	High
Producing Countries	Mediterranean
Pyramid	Top

The sharp, sappy, slightly bitter smell of freshly cut plant stems. Green in the most literal sense: chlorophyll, sap, and the watery crunch of a snapped stalk.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Sharp, aqueous, chlorophyll-forward. The smell of a snapped green stem with sap on your fingers. Slightly metallic, slightly bitter. The specific freshness of living plant tissue, not dried herbs.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Sharp, sappy green blast, metallic and aqueous

After a few hours

Softer green, less metallic, more herbaceous

After a few days

Faint dried-grass trace, mostly dissipated

The Full Story

Stems and greens is a perfumery category referring to the olfactory character of cut vegetation: the aqueous, slightly metallic, chlorophyll-rich smell from ruptured plant cells releasing cis-3-hexenol and related C6 aldehydes and alcohols known as green leaf volatiles (GLVs).

These molecules are produced enzymatically when plant tissue is damaged. They are the reason freshly cut grass, snapped stems, and torn leaves share a family resemblance. Key synthetics: cis-3-hexenol, cis-3-hexenyl acetate, cis-3-hexenyl salicylate, and galbanum oil.

Stem-green notes function as top-note modifiers. They add immediacy, naturalism, and crisp vegetal quality.

Explore all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Related: Acronychia Pedunculata · Adoxal · Agave · Algae · Aloe Vera · Aromatic Notes · Asparagus · Avocado

Did You Know?

Did you know?

Green leaf volatiles are a plant distress signal. When a caterpillar chews a leaf, the released cis-3-hexenol attracts parasitic wasps that attack the caterpillar. The fresh-cut-grass smell is literally a call for help.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Green leaf volatiles are produced synthetically. Galbanum oil is steam-distilled from Ferula galbaniflua resin.

Molecular Formula	N/A — key compounds: cis-3-hexenol (C₆H₁₂O), galbanum pyrazines
CAS Number	N/A — olfactory accord
Botanical Name	N/A — olfactory accord (green, vegetal, stem-like notes)
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	GREEN STEMS · PLANT STEMS
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	High
Lasting Power	24 hours
Appearance	Pale yellow to amber liquid

In Perfumery

Top-note modifier providing crisp vegetal immediacy. Key molecules: cis-3-hexenol, cis-3-hexenyl acetate, cis-3-hexenyl salicylate, galbanum oil. Essential in green, chypre, and nature-realistic compositions.