Linden Tree Leaf
Note Profile
About
Linden tree leaf is the foliage of the lime tree, not its blossom. The only species-specific study of what the leaf gives off finds a headspace of monoterpene hydrocarbons, so it should read green and lightly citrus-herbal rather than honeyed. That is the opposite of the published linden-tree note, which is the flower. No source describes the leaf's smell in sensory words, so every facet here is translated from named compounds and the confidence is low on purpose.
Scent Profile
Linden Tree Leaf is the foliage, not the flower, and it reads green and lightly citrus-herbal rather than honeyed. The green sits up front, sharp and fresh from the leaf itself. A light, piney herbal note runs alongside it, with a thin citrus edge behind. Unlike the flower, there is no honeyed sweetness here at all.
ScentWheel
Read off the wheel, not a label applied to the note.
ScentArt
Materials That Can Make This Note
Perfumers can build Linden Tree Leaf from materials such as:
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Beta-ocimene citrus · anisic · terpenic
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Limonene citrus · orange · resinous
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Terpinolene pine · anisic · citrus
Smell words come from published sources.
Allergens perfumes with this note can list: Limonene, Terpinolene
A given perfume with this note may use some of these, or something else, and may or may not contain the allergens above.
Origin
Tilia species, Malvaceae, the leaf rather than the inflorescence. Zoric et al., Topola/Poplar 206 (2020), measured Tilia cordata leaf volatiles in Serbia and say why: prior work was 'mostly focused on the compounds found in the inflorescence', and they turned to the leaves 'due to the fact that they last more than flowers'. They report that 'the main VOCs in all genotypes were beta-ocimene, terpinolene and limonene', with monoterpene hydrocarbons the largest class, and alpha-cadinol and epi-alpha-muurolol the most abundant compounds in the distilled oil. No commercial linden leaf extraction was found. Every Tilia material on sale for perfumery - CO2, absolute, concrete - is made from the blossom. Wikipedia's Tilia article credits the tree's 'distinctive fragrance' to the flowers alone and says nothing about the leaves smelling of anything.
Usage in Perfumery
Attested on 5 Parfumo entries across 4 brands and absent from Fragrantica. Read it as a green top-note modifier in linden and spring-garden accords.
Similar Notes
Perfumes featuring Linden Tree Leaf
A selection of reviewed perfumes where Linden Tree Leaf appears prominently.
No perfumes featuring this note have been reviewed yet. Check back soon.