The Plant Behind the Oil: Sweet Basil

The bitter orange tree gives us three oils from one plant. Shelia follows the blossoms from the grove to the still, and explains how farmers harvest neroli without losing the fruit.

Grapefruit has no ancient history. It arose in Barbados within the last few centuries, and its story is one of botanical chance, human cultivation, and a peel full of oil glands.

A favorite childhood bouquet filler, Queen Anne’s Lace, is the same species as the garden carrot. A close look at the plant behind carrot seed essential oil, from its two-year life cycle to the bristly fruits that carry the oil.

White fir (Abies concolor): how to know the tree, from upright cones that fall apart on the branch to its place in folklore and ritual.

Historically valued in perfumery and traditional medicine, petitgrain has gained recognition in modern aromatherapy for its calming, balancing, and restorative properties.

Historically, Chamaemelum nobile has been valued across many cultures for both its medicinal and symbolic properties.