Labdanum: the amber resin of the Mediterranean rockrose

Where does labdanum come from?

Labdanum, also called ladanum, comes mainly from gum rockrose (Cistus ladanifer) in the western Mediterranean and pink rockrose (Cistus creticus) in the eastern Mediterranean. The botanical profile of Cistus ladanifer describes a shrub 1 to 2.5 m tall, covered with a sticky, fragrant resin; in Spanish it is jara pringosa, the sticky shrub. Do not confuse labdanum with laudanum, a tincture of opium.

How is labdanum harvested?

In ancient times, shepherds collected labdanum by combing the beards and thighs of goats and sheep that had grazed on cistus; in 19th-century Crete, a rake fitted with leather thongs swept the shrubs instead. Today, as the history of labdanum explains, the raw resin is usually extracted by boiling the leaves and twigs, an absolute is obtained by solvent extraction, and an essential oil by steam distillation.

What does labdanum smell like?

Labdanum smells very rich, complex and tenacious. Its odour is variously described as amber, sweet, woody, powdery, fruity, animalic, ambergris, dry musk or leathery. The absolute, dark amber-green and very thick, is more refined than the raw resin, a black or dark brown mass that turns brittle with age.

What does labdanum do in a fragrance?

Labdanum is prized for its resemblance to ambergris, banned in many countries because it comes from the sperm whale, an endangered species, and it is the main ingredient used to build the scent of amber. It is also a key base note of the chypre family, next to oakmoss and patchouli, appears in leather accords, and works as a fixative. The Class on animal notes and their substitutes explains how perfumery replaced ambergris.