Slash Pine resin
Yesterday I visited a semitropical barrier island. I found a number of slash pine stumps coated with bubbling resin in the heat. Using a hardened palm frond from the forest floor as a spatula, I picked up the tacky yellow glue. Most of it came off in clumps. With the lowcountry sun acting as a natural censer, the scent mixed with the sawdust on the stump to create a warm, pine sauna aroma. But what surprised me the most was the similarity of Pinus elliottii resin's aroma to Hojari frankincense. Like Boswellia sacra, the sap of swamp pine has a thin balsamic aroma accompanied by bright citrus notes. What was also unusual was a distinctive smoky halo. I will tincture my small collection when I get home, to develop as a perfume ingredient. I haven't come across slash pine resinoids or absolutes yet in natural perfumery, and I am always excited to discover and work with a new fragrant paint.
© 2022, Abby Hinsman for Wild Veil Perfume.