Sandalwood
Oil

The white sandalwood tree (Santalum album) grows in the tropical regions of northern Australia. The cultivated sandalwood trees find ideal conditions for developing their special natural flavours and nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-santalol or bergamotol, in the sunny, dry climate near water. Once the trees are over 15 years old, they are carefully harvested and transported to the distillery. There, the valuable trunks are individually inspected and the sapwood is removed by hand to ensure that no heartwood – the oil-bearing part of the tree – is overlooked. The heartwood is then carefully hydro-distilled to obtain a uniquely fragrant, high-quality oil according to the highest quality standards.

Sandalwood belongs to the Santalaceae family. This plant species is native to tropical and temperate climates worldwide, from India to Malaysia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. There are a total of 10 genera in Australia, 4 of which are endemic. While the native populations in India have been almost wiped out, the plantations in the tropical north of Australia are a sustainable and authentic source of the Indian sandalwood tree. The evergreen tree can grow up to 20m high in the wild; in Australia it usually grows to a height of about 4m. Its leaves can grow up to 8cm long; after 3–4 years, the first red-violet flowers appear, which bloom throughout the year. Due to its parasitic nature, Indian sandalwood requires up to 4 host trees to tap into water and nutrients and thrive. The rich biodiversity created by planting different tree species within the plantations creates a rich ecosystem of wildlife and healthy forest that nourish each other – a phenomenon not usually associated with plantation agriculture.