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Tomato Leaf

Q: Is Tomato Leaf natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: The key aroma molecules are commercially synthesized. Tomato leaf absolute exists but is rare. The note is typically reconstructed from synthetic green and sulfurous materials..

GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES / fresh · green · floral

Tomato Leaf

Category	GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES
Subcategory	fresh · green · floral
Origin
Volatility	Heart Note
Botanical	Solanum lycopersicum
Appearance	Dark green viscous liquid (absolute) or colorless (synthetic reconstruction)
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	China, India, United States, Turkey, Italy, Spain
Pyramid	Heart

Sharp, green, and unmistakably vegetal. The smell of tomato stems and leaves -- not the fruit. A pungent, slightly sulfurous green that is a particular plant aromas on Earth.

Scent
Terroir & Origins
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Sharp, green, pungent, and faintly sulfurous. Like reaching into a tomato plant in a summer garden and breaking a stem -- the immediate rush of green, vegetal, slightly metallic aroma is one of nature's most particular smells. Not the fruit. The plant. Raw and alive.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Sharp, green, pungent. Vegetal and slightly metallic.

After a few hours

The sharpness fades. Softer, warm-green, herbal.

After a few days

A faint, green residue. The sulfurous quality dissipates.

Terroir & Transformation

Indicative 2025 wholesale prices.

The Full Story

Tomato leaf (Solanum lycopersicum) is a recognizable green scents in the world. The leaves and stems of the tomato plant contain glandular trichomes filled with volatile compounds -- primarily 2-isobutylthiazole, cis-3-hexenal, and beta-ionone -- that create the particular sharp, green, pungent aroma.

The smell is not the fruit (which is sweeter, more ester-driven) but the plant itself: rubbing a tomato stem between your fingers releases a burst of green, slightly metallic, faintly sulfurous aroma that is instantly recognizable.

In perfumery, tomato leaf is available as a synthetic accord (the key molecules are commercially produced) and is used to add a naturalistic, garden-green quality to compositions. It provides a specific, recognizable greenness that is more pungent and more interesting than generic green notes.

The note functions in the top-to-heart range, providing sharp, garden-realistic freshness.

This note in Première Peau. Simili Mirage · Gravitas Capitale. Sample 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?

2-Isobutylthiazole, the molecule most responsible for the particular tomato-leaf smell, was first identified in 1971. It has a detection threshold of just 3.5 ppb -- making it a potent green odorants known. Its sulfur-containing thiazole ring is what gives tomato leaf its characteristic pungency.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: The key aroma molecules are commercially synthesized. Tomato leaf absolute exists but is rare. The note is typically reconstructed from synthetic green and sulfurous materials.

↑ See Terroir & Origins for origin-specific methods.

Molecular Formula	Cis-3-hexenal C₆H₁₀O (green note) · 2-Isobutylthiazole C₇H₁₁NS (tomato character)
CAS Number	68917-39-5
Botanical Name	Solanum lycopersicum
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	Tomato, Tomato Plant
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Appearance	Dark green viscous liquid (absolute) or colorless (synthetic reconstruction)

In Perfumery

Top-to-heart note in green, garden, and vegetal compositions. Functions as a sharp, recognizable green element. Key molecules: cis-3-hexenal, 2-isobutylthiazole, beta-ionone. Provides garden-realistic pungency. Used in green-floral, Mediterranean, and naturalistic formulas.