The damask rose originated in Syria, and despite its name is mainly grown in Morocco, Bulgaria and Turkey. It can grow in the wild in cooler climates, but also in southern regions. The rose is the queen of flowers and has been a symbol of love since ancient times, providing a constant source of fascination.…
The plum tree has long been grown on French hillsides, having arrived from China via the Silk Road. However, damsons were not brought to France until the thirteenth century during the Crusades. Crossing local plum trees with damsons brought from Syria gave rise to a new variety of plum tree called the “Ente” plum tree…
The olive tree, a member of the Oleaceae family, is native to the sunny hillsides of the Mediterranean Basin. Proudly carried by its gnarled trunk, this tree can live for centuries and become huge if the conditions are right. According to geneticists’ most recent work, this tree was domesticated 5,000 to 7,000 ago years in…
Orange blossom is the fruit of the bitter orange tree, a thorny shrub. It has been used in food and medicine for thousands of years. The essential oil from the flowers is also called neroli, and the trees are sometimes referred to as bigarade or bitter orange trees. The trees spread throughout India during the…
The mango tree is an exotic tree in the Anacardiaceae family native to India and Burma. It is widely grown in tropical countries for its fleshy fruit. This majestic tree with a huge trunk can grow up to 40 metres tall. Its dense, dark green foliage forms a wide spherical crown. Its long roots draw…
Aborigines in Australia called macadamia nuts “gyndl” or “jindilli”. They traded this protein-rich nut with the first European colonists who arrived in Australia, who then exported them all over the world. Today, macadamia trees are naturalised in countries including Kenya, Hawaii and South Africa. They are grown for their wood and nuts, which are eaten…
Lavender – the symbol of Provence – has a herbal scent and a pretty purple colour. This flower has been enjoyed for centuries thanks to its ornamental, therapeutic and cosmetic properties. Lavender, sometimes called fine lavender or true lavender, is a small hardy shrub between 20 and 70 cm tall. The Lavandula genus is in…
White tea is produced by drying the leaves of the tea plant. The tea plant (Camellia sinensis) is an evergreen shrub in the Theaceae family. Native to the Far East, its numerous benefits have been known for many centuries. In the wild, it grows in humid, tropical areas with the regular rainfall it needs to…
Annatto, also called achiote, is a perennial shrub with dense foliage which has grown since before the Incas. It is also sometimes referred to as urucum, taken from the language of the Tupi people (indigenous tribes from Brazil’s coastal areas) who named it urucu. In the Amazon, natives paint their bodies with it, in particular…
