GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES / green · fresh · tropical
Ti Leaf (Cordyline)
Category
GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES
Subcategory
green · fresh · tropical
Origin
Volatility
Heart Note
Botanical
Cordyline fruticosa
Appearance
Pale yellow to amber liquid
Odor Strength
Medium
Producing Countries
Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia
Pyramid
Heart
Green, faintly sweet, and tropical. Ti leaves (Cordyline fruticosa) smell of fresh-cut tropical foliage -- green sap, slight sweetness, and humid warmth.
Green, faintly sweet, and tropical. Like tearing a fresh ti leaf in half -- the green sap emerges, slightly sweet and vegetal, and the smell carries the humidity of a Hawaiian garden. Not a flower scent. A leaf scent.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Green, sweet-sappy, tropical. Fresh leaf.
After a few hours
After a few hours
The green softens. Warm, slightly sweet, vegetal.
After a few days
After a few days
A faint, green residue.
The Full Story
Ti plant (Cordyline fruticosa) is a tropical shrub native to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, deeply significant in Hawaiian and Polynesian culture. The large, glossy leaves are used for wrapping food, making leis, and in ceremonial contexts. When bruised, the leaves release a green, faintly sweet aroma with a tropical-vegetal quality.
In perfumery, ti leaf is a fantasy accord capturing this specific tropical-foliage character: greener than most florals, less herbal than basil or mint, with a particular sweet-sappy quality. Built from green-leaf materials, a faint sweetness, and tropical-humid elements.
The note sits in the top-to-heart range, providing Hawaiian/Polynesian tropical atmosphere.
This note in Première Peau. Simili Mirage · Gravitas Capitale. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.
In Hawaiian tradition, ti leaves (ki) are considered sacred to the god Lono and are used to ward off evil spirits. Planting ti around a home is believed to bring good luck. The roots can be baked for days in an earth oven to produce a sweet, candy-like food -- the sugars in the root caramelize during the long cooking process.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Not extracted for perfumery. Fantasy accord built from green-leaf synthetics.
Molecular Formula
Complex mixture — contains steroidal saponins
CAS Number
89997-27-3 (Cordyline fruticosa extract)
Botanical Name
Cordyline fruticosa
IFRA Status
No known restrictions
Synonyms
ti plant, cabbage palm
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
Medium
Appearance
Pale yellow to amber liquid
In Perfumery
Top-to-heart note in tropical, Polynesian-inspired, and green-foliage compositions. Functions as a tropical green-leaf element with cultural specificity. Built from green-leaf materials, faint sweetness, and humid-tropical accords.