Black hemlock

What it brings

A mysterious woody depth that casts shade over flowers.

Origins and uses

The hemlock of perfumery has nothing to do with the poisonous plant that shares its English name. It refers to the hemlock trees, conifers of the genus Tsuga in the pine family, which are not firs despite being called "Canada fir" in French. There are about ten species in North America and Asia, growing in cool, often rocky places. Their English name is said to come from the smell of their crushed needles, and their bark, rich in tannins, was long used by tanneries.

In perfumery, black hemlock evokes a dark forest: a woody, resinous, green, almost smoky note. Distilled or recreated, it sits in the heart of woody compositions, making them deeper and more mysterious.

In our catalogue, it forms the heart of Ormonde Woman by Ormonde Jayne, with violet and jasmine, above a base of vetiver, cedarwood, amber and sandalwood.