Banana shrub absolute

Ripe banana, fruit candy, creamy flower. Sweet wine and champaca-like facets. Warm and slightly estery.

Banana shrub absolute has no dedicated standard in the 51st Amendment of the IFRA Standards and is not named in the EU fragrance allergen list.

Listed EU allergens, where present, are counted from the lot's certificate of analysis.

Store dark, sealed and cool.

Magnolia figo, formerly placed in Michelia, is an evergreen shrub native to southern China. In Vietnam it is called hàm tiếu. Its small cream flowers edged purple-brown open halfway in spring and smell distinctly of ripe banana, which gives the English name banana shrub.

It should not be confused with white champaca (Magnolia × alba, formerly Michelia alba) or orange champaca (Magnolia champaca). Those two are the sources of champaca absolute and leaf oil, which have their own pages in the library.

Banana shrub absolute is made by extracting the flowers with a solvent to a concrete, then processing with ethanol. A commercial absolute source has not been confirmed.

The banana scent suggests esters such as isoamyl acetate, but published composition data for the flower and the absolute have not been verified. This page therefore lists no specific constituents.

Banana shrub is grown as an ornamental in many subtropical regions, including Japan and the south-eastern United States. The scent is strongest in the afternoon and on warm days.

In perfumery, the banana shrub note belongs with fruity florals, close to champaca and ylang ylang. In Vietnam, banana shrub is often planted in house and temple courtyards.