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Violet Woodsorrel

Q: Is Violet Woodsorrel natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: No commercial essential oil or absolute exists. The plant produces insufficient volatile compounds for extraction. The note is always reconstructed from sour-green synthetics and faint floral materials..

FLOWERS / floral · woody · fresh

Violet Woodsorrel

Category	FLOWERS
Subcategory	floral · woody · fresh
Origin
Volatility	Heart Note
Botanical	Oxalis violacea
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	Canada, United States
Pyramid	Heart

Tart-green, faintly oxalic, with a thin floral edge. The tiny Oxalis flower — more acidic sap than perfume, like sucking a clover stem.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Tart-green, thin, and faintly floral. The oxalic acid character dominates — a sour, almost citric green that is more taste than smell. The flower contributes a delicate, barely perceptible sweetness. Less strong than violet leaf, less sweet than violet flower, with an acidic sharpness unique to the Oxalis genus.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Tart green-acidic flash, thin and sour

After a few hours

Faint green sweetness, barely perceptible

After a few days

Essentially gone

The Full Story

Violet woodsorrel (Oxalis violacea) is a small perennial with violet-pink flowers, unrelated to true violets despite its name. It belongs to the Oxalidaceae (wood-sorrel family), a group of plants characterized by oxalic acid content that gives them a distinctly tart, sour taste.

The scent of Oxalis flowers is minimal — a faint, thin floral quality with a green-acidic character from the oxalic acid. The leaves and stems have a more pronounced sour-green smell when crushed. The overall olfactory impression is tart, vegetal, and understated — a wildflower that whispers rather than projects.

There is no commercial Oxalis essential oil or absolute. The note is a conceptual reference in perfumery, evoking woodland floors, acidic green freshness, and delicate wildflowers. It is reconstructed using sour-green materials and faint floral accords.

This note in Première Peau. Nuit Elastique · Rose Monotone. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Related: Alpha Ionone · Alpha Isomethyl Ionone · Beta Ionone · Boisiris · Diviniris · Iris · Iris Butter · Iris Pallida

Did You Know?

Did you know?

All Oxalis species contain oxalic acid, which gives them their sour taste and their name (from the Greek 'oxys,' sharp/acidic). In high doses, oxalic acid is toxic — it binds calcium in the blood and can cause kidney stones. The small amounts in wood-sorrel are harmless and have been used in folk medicine and as a salad green.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: No commercial essential oil or absolute exists. The plant produces insufficient volatile compounds for extraction. The note is always reconstructed from sour-green synthetics and faint floral materials.

Molecular Formula	N/A — no distillable oil available
CAS Number	N/A — no commercial essential oil
Botanical Name	Oxalis violacea
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	WOOD SORREL · VIOLET SORREL
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium

In Perfumery

Violet woodsorrel is a conceptual note with no commercial extract. Perfumers approximate it using sour-green materials (rhubarb, green-tart synthetics), faint violet-type florals, and acidic modifiers. It provides a woodland-floor freshness — tart, green, and understated. Used in green, forest, and wildflower compositions as a subtle acidic-green accent.