The Nutmeg species of trees belongs to the Myristica genus. The botanical name of the commercially most significant species is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Moluccas or “Spice Islands” of Indonesia. Nutmeg yields 2 different spices from the fruit, one is the actual inner kernel of the fruit and the other the…

VERBENA belongs to the Verbenaceae plant family. There are about 800 different species in this group. The botanical name is Lippia citriodora. The plant was introduced in the Isle of Wight in England at the end of the 18th century. Planted as a shrub it became for some time a decorative plant in European gardens….

The Nutmeg species of trees belongs to the Myristica genus. The botanical name of the commercially most significant species is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Moluccas or “Spice Islands” of Indonesia. Nutmeg yields 2 different spices from the fruit, one is the actual inner kernel of the fruit and the other the…

The name “Niaouli” is derived from Nyelayu, a New Caledonian language, translated into Niaouli in French. The botanical name is Melaleuca viridiflora or Melaleuca quinquenervia, commonly known as Niaouli or “broad-leaved paperbark”. The genus name “Melaleuca” means “black and white” – referring to the colour of the bark which resembles the bark of the birch…

Geranium oil – with its Latin genus name Pelargonium – belongs to the Geraniaceae plant family. The beautiful plant has its origin in South Africa. Today it occurs in many different species, most of which grow in North Africa, East Africa, Egypt, and Middle East regions, but it is also abundantly found in the gardens…

Mandarin belongs to the citrus fruits like Orange, Bergamot, Grapefruit, Yuzu, Tangerine… with the difference that the Mandarin is more yellow in colour and contains pips, whereas the Tangerine is more orange in colour and has no pips. Both of them belong to the Rutaceae plant family and the botanical name of Mandarin and Tangerine…

Fennel with its Latin name Foeniculum vulgare belongs to the Apiaceae (former: “Umbelliferae”) plant family. The name is derived as a diminutive of the latin word “fenum” meaning “hay” which certainly has to do with the grass like feathery appearance of the leaves. Originally, in Europe, the plant was only native to the Mediterranean area…

Cinnamon, known to man since time immemorial, is an amazing spice gained from the dried inner bark of an evergreen bushy tree belonging to the Laurel family (Lauraceae). The tree does not grow higher than 30 feet and is native to countries of South-Asia and South-East Asia, especially to Sri Lanka, the Indian Malabar coast,…

Thuja oil or – English “Cedar leaf” oil – stems from Thuja occidentalis, a specie of the Cypress family (Cupressaceae). The tree can become 6-20 m high. The branches are horizontally ramified, the leaves are dark green at the top side and light green at the underside. One can really say that the Cypress family…

Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) is a member of the Magnoliaceae plant family. There are more than 240 different species, many of them deciduous as well as evergreen ones among them. The tree is native to south and south-east Asia, especially India. The name Magnolia was given in honor of Pierre Magnol (1638-1715), a French professor of…

CLOVE with its Latin name Eugenia caryophyllata belongs to a tree of the Myrtaceae plant family. Its dried flower buds spread a strong aromatic scent. The tree is native to Indonesia. It belongs to the evergreens and reaches a height ranging from 8-12 m and prefers shadowy places – under tropical suns! All parts of…

With its fresh and fruity fragrance the Lemon oil reminds us of Mediterranean orchards under a blue sky and a soft breeze from the ocean. Its luminous, volatile-etheric character mobilizes our energies, relaxes and sharpens the mind, and opens the heart. The essential oil stems from cold pressed ripe Lemons with most of it present…

The name Sandal (wood) is derived from the Sanskrit “chandana” meaning “white, bright like the moon, fragrant”. Sandalwood belongs to the Santalaceae family of the genus Santalum. Santalum album oil (Indian Sandalwood) represents the highest quality of all Sandalwood oils. Other oils derived from the genus Santalum are Santalum spicatum (Australian Sandalwood), Santalum paniculatum (Hawaiian…

Cajeput oil (Melaleuca leucadendron) stems from the distillation of the fresh leaves of a beautiful strong tree with a bark resembling the bark of the Birch tree. It grows wild or cultivated in South East Asia, but also in India and Northern Australia. The oil is produced all year long with help of rural mobile…

Bay St. Thomas mit dem botanischen Namen Pimenta dioica, auch Piment“ genannt, gehört zur Pflanzenfamilie der Myrtaceae. Die Ureinwohner Mittelamerikas nutzten den Baum nicht nur als Heilpflanze, sondern auch zur Einbalsamierung ihrer Toten. Piment wurde ursprünglich in den tropischen Wäldern Süd- und Mittelamerikas, aber auch im Süden Mexikos und auf den Westindischen Inseln als Medizin…

A specie of the mahogany family, Aglaia odorata is an evergreen tropical bush or small multi-branched tree growing up to 3 metres high.  It is native to China and also called Chinese Rice Flower, Chinese Perfume Plant, Chinese Perfume Bonsai Tree, Peppery Orchid, or Mock Lemon. Its Chinese name is Mizilan – and for the…

Nagarmotha or Cypriol (Cyperus rotundus) is one of the world’s most invasive plants ? and one of the most incredible essential oils, hardly known to so many people, even in the world of modern Aromatherapy. Mother Nature is always amazing in her ways how she spreads medicinal plants through eons of time over the Earth…

One of the most anti-microbial oils so far known is distilled from Lemongrass oil. This oil is derived from a highly fragrant tropical grass belonging to the Poaceae family, the same family as our barley or wheat. The essential oil in Lemongrass is gained by steam-distillation resulting in a watery liquid of dark yellow colour…

Benzoin was already described in medieval times by the famous Persian physician Ibn Senna (Avicenna) as “Javan frankincense”. The resin then found its way to Europe by the crusaders and already in the 12th century became an appreciated trade article under the term “gum Benjamin”. It was even subject to tax in the Europe of…

a miracle healer from the Mediterranean ROCK ROSE with its Latin name Cistus ladaniferus consists of about 20 subspecies. The name Cistus comes from the Portuguese language where “cesto” means “capsule” or “basket” referring to the capsule-shaped fruits which form after the floral season. Cistus or Rock Rose is not related to the Rose family….

Like the Rose is regarded as the queen within the flower kingdom the Cedar can be called the king among the conifers. With its roots well fastened into the earth and its crown high stretching to the sky, the tree represents the majestic power of Mother Nature. Cedars can grow up to 50 m high,…

The ebook edition of Essays on Holistic Aromatherapy written by Dr. Malte Hozzel is a compilation of deep insights into medicinal plants and essential oils.  Over the last 25 years, Dr. Hozzel has travelled the world in a quest to find the purest and finest oils, sourcing them directly from the growers to bring forward the…

  Synergy means combined energies in togetherness. It is natural for the relative field of life to be expressed in diversity, but this diversity becomes compact in a greater directedness when it is intelligently and harmoniously put together to create new units of wholeness. Thus, a bouquet of flowers finds its charm in a collectedness…

The spirit of the sacred and of meditation surrounds frankincense since ages. Resins and their oils (Frankincense, Myrhh, Benzoin, etc.) have always been easily associated with fumigation and purification. The special mind set-up they create is “vertical” like the smoke that rises to heaven. Vertical means also away from the boundaries of worldly “airs and…

Aromatherapy oils are natural oils derived from the aromatic plant parts, especially their flowers, leaf, and bark. They are used to achieve relaxation, alleviate stress, and treat various physical as well as emotional disorders. Basically, they ignite your senses and enliven your body. However, research shows that they are beneficial for various disorders as well….