Tulip Tree
Note Profile
About
Tulip tree is Liriodendron tulipifera, a Magnoliaceae tree named for the shape of its flowers. It is not a tulip. The only olfactive records are 19th-century pharmacognosy of the bark and flower buds, which describe an oil that opens between lemon and bergamot and turns turpentine-like on standing, plus a handful of lay accounts of the fresh bloom that do not agree with each other.
Scent Profile
Tulip tree oil turns turpentine-like on standing, a dry, woody resin smell rather than a fresh one. Fresh, it smells intermediate between lemon and bergamot citrus. A resinous, pine-like warmth runs alongside the wood. Lay accounts of the bloom disagree, some calling it a heavenly floral, others finding a mild tropical fruit character like mango or guava. The materia medica calls the whole thing simply aromatic.
ScentWheel
Read off the wheel, not a label applied to the note.
ScentArt
Materials That Can Make This Note
Perfumers can make Tulip Tree from this natural extract.
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Natural extract Tulip tree leaf absolute (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Smell words come from published sources.
A given perfume with this note may use this material, or something else.
Origin
Bark, root bark and flower buds of Liriodendron tulipifera, a large North American hardwood in the magnolia family. King's American Dispensatory describes the volatile oil of the bark and buds. No commercial essential oil, absolute or accord under this name was found from any supplier.
Usage in Perfumery
Rare. Parfumo records two placements across two brands and Fragrantica records none. There is no evidence of a traded raw material, so listings are most likely evocative rather than built on an extract.
Similar Notes
Perfumes featuring Tulip Tree
A selection of reviewed perfumes where Tulip Tree appears prominently.
No perfumes featuring this note have been reviewed yet. Check back soon.