Arbutus (Madrona, Bearberry Tree)
Note Profile
About
A honeyed wood. Warm and sweet like ripe berries and honey over a soft woody base, drying into something earthier, with a smooth leathery dryness from the bark.
Scent Profile
Arbutus is a honeyed wood, a ripe berry sweetness and honey laid over a soft woody base. As it dries the sweetness fades into a more earthy, grounded character. The bark itself is smooth and faintly leathery, giving the base a dry edge. Underneath there is a quiet floral hint, like wildflowers a bee has just left.
ScentWheel
Read off the wheel, not a label applied to the note.
ScentArt
Origin
Arbutus is a genus of evergreen trees in the heather family. Fragrantica ties this note to Arbutus menziesii, the Pacific madrone of the North American west coast. The Mediterranean relative Arbutus unedo, the strawberry tree, carries the same common names in Europe. No commercial essential oil or absolute is traded under this name. The perfumery source states plainly that arbutus is not widely produced as an isolate and that most arbutus effects are reconstructed accords.
Usage in Perfumery
A heart note used to carry a warm honeyed-woody character with a fruity edge. It is placed in compositions that evoke Mediterranean scrub and garrigue, working alongside cistus, myrtle and immortelle, and it pairs with citrus, florals and other woods. Its stated job is to bridge fruit and wood in one material.
Similar Notes
Perfumes featuring Arbutus (Madrona, Bearberry Tree)
A selection of reviewed perfumes where Arbutus (Madrona, Bearberry Tree) appears prominently.
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