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Ti Leaf (Cordyline)

GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES  /  green · fresh · tropical
Ti Leaf (Cordyline)
Ti Leaf (Cordyline) perfume ingredient
CategoryGREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES
Subcategorygreen · fresh · tropical
Origin
VolatilityHeart Note
BotanicalCordyline fruticosa
AppearancePale yellow to amber liquid
Odor StrengthMedium
Producing CountriesPacific Islands, Southeast Asia
PyramidHeart

Green, faintly sweet, and tropical. Ti leaves (Cordyline fruticosa) smell of fresh-cut tropical foliage -- green sap, slight sweetness, and humid warmth.

  1. Scent
  2. The Full Story
  3. Fun Fact
  4. Extraction & Chemistry
  5. In Perfumery

Scent

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.

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

Did You Know?

Did you know?
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 FormulaComplex mixture — contains steroidal saponins
CAS Number89997-27-3 (Cordyline fruticosa extract)
Botanical NameCordyline fruticosa
IFRA StatusNo known restrictions
Synonymsti plant, cabbage palm
Physical Properties
Odor StrengthMedium
AppearancePale 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.

From the raw to the worn

This is what it becomes.