When European explorers first came to Indonesia, among the things they discovered was something that people in this island nation had already treasured for centuries; the ylang-ylang tree.

Also called “canaga” because of its Latin name, Canaga odorata, the ylang-ylang is native to the chain of islands that make up Indonesia and later became naturalized in the Philippines. In these countries, its blossoms are often used for decorative and ceremonial purpose. For a period of time, it was fashionable to grow ylang-ylang trees in conservatories in Europe and North America.

Ylang-ylang’s six-petaled, yellow flowers are small, but are noted for their potency. Ylang-ylang is often described as having a rich, almost dessert-like smell, with hints of neroli and jasmine (to which it is not actually all that botanically similar).

Ylang-ylang is used in aromatherapy because its essential oil is believed to help reduce high blood pressure. Ylang-ylang is also often used in perfumes to impart an “exotic” or “oriental” scent. However, many of the fragrances that one can buy at traditional perfume counters actually contain very little ylang-ylang essential oil. This is not the case with Tsi-La Organic’s line of Living Flower organic perfumes.

Living Flower green luxury perfumes are made from plant- and flower-based ingredients, so they contain none of the chemical “filler” that many other commercial fragrances have. What they do contain is a high proportion of actual flower-based fragrances, like ylang-ylang. This makes them better for the Earth and for you; it also makes wearing them feel like an indulgence.