What is sandalwood?

By Chelsie Vandaveer

July 22, 2004

killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~

Shop the National Geographic Store—>Click here.

Shop Novica.com—>Click here.

Suggested Reading—>Click here.

Assorted Killer Savings Garden Links—>Click here.

Killer Picks: Wollemi Pine, greatest living fossils discovered in the 20th century—>Click here.

'Floral Elephant', 'Elephant Parade', 'Intimately Fragrant', 'Forest Harmony'—>Click here.

'Night of Ylang Ylang', Handmade soaps, National Geographic Magazine—>Click here.

The white santal (Santalum album Linnaeus) has been the source of highly prized wood and fragrant oil since at least the fifth century BCE. Known in the ancient Sanskrit as chandana, the wood and its valuable oil traveled from India along the ancient Silk Roads to Persia "sandal", to Greece "santalon", and to Rome "santalum". Perhaps best known in stick incense form, sandalwood ground into a paste is rolled around bamboo skewers. ("Sandalwood" Encyclopedia Britannica, 1911)

advertisement

Sandalwood carvings and cabinetry retain their fragrance. Sandalwood Fan Making, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China Photographic Print Diana Mayfield Buy Photographic Print at AllPosters.com

The white santal is one of 8 or 9 species of sandalwoods ranging from India and Australia to the Pacific Islands. The trees are evergreen with opposite ovate leaves and hemiparasitic obtaining some of their nutrition from neighboring plants. Sandalwood is the heartwood, no longer living, where the tree lays down secondary metabolites, in this case, its fragrant yellow oil. When freshly cut, the heartwood is yellowish-brown; over time, it ages to rich reddish-brown. It requires a minimum of thirty years for the heartwood to form. The finest sandalwood comes from trees over sixty. ("Sandalwood Case", TED Case Studies, American University, 1997)

advertisement

Sandalwoods in India belong to the government, a tradition since 1792 when the Sultan of Mysore declared them royal trees. Tippoo Sultan Plate from "Picturesque Scenery in the Kingdom of Mysore" Giclee Print by  Edward Orme Buy Giclee Print at AllPosters.com

Sandalwoods in India belong to the government, a tradition since 1792 when the Sultan of Mysore declared them royal trees. In early traditions, the white santals were uprooted and the trunks stripped of their limbs. The logs were left on the ground until ants had eaten away the light-colored sapwood. ("Sandalwood", A Modern Herbal, Mrs. M. Grieve, reprinted 1996, Barnes & Noble)

The aged logs and roots were then collected for use—carving, woodworking, and oil extraction. Sandalwood carvings and cabinetry retain their fragrance; the steam distilled oil is used in perfumes, medicinals, and cosmetics. The wood paste is one of the ingredients for the varna (color implying caste) marks of the Brahmins, the spiritual leaders and teachers.

Sandalwood oil contains α-santalol and ß-santalol, the sesquiterpene alcohols that give the essential oil its soft, sweet fragrance. The human olfactory nerves are specific to the scent of the santalols. If the chirality (arrangement of the atoms in the molecule) of the santalols is changed to the molecule's mirror image, the human nose cannot detect the fragrance. ("Chirality and Odor Perception", John C. Leffingwell, PhD, Leffingwell & Associates, 2001-2002)

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia has posted a botanical illustration of the white santal from Kohler's Medizinal-Pflanzen and other information. To view this beautiful illustration and to learn more, click on the link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santalum_album

killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~

Suggested Reading:

Is lavender more than just a fragrance? Weird Plants - March 27, 2003
What is cassie? Herbal Folklore - February 9, 2004
What primitive flower is the fragrance of love? Weird Plants - February 14, 2002
What is a sorrowful tree? What's in a Name? - October 19, 2001
What is myrrh? Herbal Folklore - July 23, 2001
Frankincense and the Lost City of Ubar Herbal Folklore - December 24, 2001

Killer Savings Links:

Breck's Bulbs -$25 off—>Click here.

Gurney's Seed and Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.

Henry Fields Seed and Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.

Spring Hill Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.

Gardens Alive! -$20 off—>Click here.

Michigan Bulb -$20 off—>Click here.

Unique Professionally Designed Gardens

Springhill Nursery®

Spring Hill Nursery has unique gardens professionally designed by experts to take the guesswork out of gardening. Whether you are looking for a three season garden, foundation garden, or a garden to attract hummingbirds and butterflies, Spring Hill Nursery has created a step-by-step design just for you.  Click here - $20 off your first order at Spring Hill Nursery!

Soapstone candleholder and oil burner, 'Floral Elephant' Glowing in warm candlelight, an elephant is carved by hand in classic jali, or "open work" style. Kuldeep Sirohi sculpts the natural soapstone piece in intricate detail to shade the flame. A matching bowl rests atop the creature's strong back to hold aromatic oils. The set includes a tea light and three oils - rose, lavender and sandalwood. Soapstone candleholder and oil burner, 'Floral Elephant'
Incense and holder, 'Elephant Parade' Cheerful elephants parade through a forest of palm trees; they hold a revered place in Thai society and appear in many proverbs and sayings. The golden pachyderms adorn a mango wood incense holder. Hand-crafted by Vatcharee Sritrakul, the piece includes 15 opium-scented incense sticks and is presented in a saa (mulberry) paper box. Incense and holder, 'Elephant Parade'
Incense sticks and dish, 'Intimately Fragrant' (3 box sets) Tinted turquoise and lilac, these lavender incense sticks entice with their sweet, fresh and floral aroma. Lavender is believed to soothe headaches and migraines. Sirinart Bongkotmas prepares each stick from bamboo and sawdust, as well as the desired aromatic materials. Presented in three saa paper boxes, each set of 15 incense sticks includes a ceramic dish shaped like a mango tree leaf. Incense sticks and dish, 'Intimately Fragrant' (3 box sets)
Candle and incense set, 'Forest Harmony' Na selects the Thai forests' rich green colors for this beautiful gift set. Perfuming the air with the aroma of jasmine are eight floral tea lights. Vanilla incense complements the scented candles. Rain tree wood candleholders take the form of yin and yang for a harmonious ambience. Na presents the set in a handmade box adorned with mango wood beads. Candle and incense set, 'Forest Harmony'
Incense and candle set, 'Night of Ylang Ylang' The delicate aroma of ylang ylang scents this attractive set designed by Thailand's Kasarin. She includes in this set a sculpted flower candle, 40 incense sticks with a fabaceae wood stand, and a fragrant potpourri sachet. The set arrives in elegant saa paper box. Incense and candle set, 'Night of Ylang Ylang'
Natural handmade soaps, 'Apple-Cinnamon, Honey-Wheat and Coffee' (set of 3) Working with aromatherapy principles, Piman brings a natural beauty experience to bath time. She crafts handmade soaps in three varieties. Coffee, honey-whole wheat and apple-cinnamon are based on rice bran, palm and coconut oils to moisturize, condition and cleanse. Ground fresh coffee beans remove odors while gently exfoliating skin. Rich in calcium and iron, whole wheat exfoliates the skin without feeling abrasive, while honey is a wonderful emollient. Fragrant apple-cinnamon provides natural moisturizers for soft and supple skin. Piman crafts all three soaps with glycerin and vitamin E. They arrive in a gift box of rayon and cotton, adorned with beads of rain tree wood. Natural handmade soaps, 'Apple-Cinnamon, Honey-Wheat and Coffee' (set of 3)
		Wollemi Pine National Geographic® Exclusively from National Geographic, this survivor from the age of the dinosaurs is one of the greatest living fossils discovered in the 20th century. The Wollemi pine is one of the world's oldest and rarest tree species, belonging to a 200-million-year-old plant family thought to have been extinct for more than two million years.
Previously known only from fossil records, it was presumed extinct until a single tree was found in the Wollemi National Park, Australia, in 1994. Subsequent research discovered 100 adult trees that have survived in a single canyon in this wild and rugged area.  Click here to view canyon, trees and fossil record. You can assist in the conservation effort and enjoy the unique opportunity to ensure the continued survival of this rare species by giving the tree as a gift or growing your own. Suitable for indoor container gardening or as a landscape tree in certain areas of the U.S. Comes with a care manual with the full story about the discovery and fascinating history of the Wollemi pine. Comes in a copper-colored container and will be approximately 10''H when shipped. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these plants will fund ongoing conservation research.  Click here to get your Wollemi Pine and assist in the conservation effort.
National Geographic Magazine National Geographic®		You are invited to roam the world in the pages of National Geographic magazine. Explore the diversity of our planet's lands and inhabitants in compelling stories covering topics such as animals, nature, science, technology, culture, history, travel, adventure, exploration, and geography. The monthly National Geographic magazine is your key benefit of membership. Additional benefits include: As many as five wall map supplements throughout the year in issues of the magazine A personalized Membership Certificate Special discounts on selected products The opportunity to examine special Society products free in your home before deciding to purchase The privilege of traveling the world with the Society's educational travel tour programs The satisfaction of supporting important research, conservation, education, and exploration projects
Join the Society and bring the adventure of National Geographic into your home!  Click here for price and more info...
killerPlants Recommended Bath & Body, Cosmetics/Fragrance Stores
BACK TO TOP