Ylang-Ylang—Essence From the Perfume Island in Mayotte!

HAVE you ever heard of it? You have likely used it. At least you have smelled it! What is it? Well, it is both a tree and a perfume.

Ylang-ylang (ēläng-ēʹläng) is a tree that produces an essence used in making luxury perfumes. Some say it originated on the island of Madagascar; others say in Malaysia, where it is also cultivated. But here in the Comoro Islands, between Africa and Madagascar, and particularly on the island of Mayotte, the climate is just right for producing a perfume essence of excelling quality—some say the best in the world.

Mayotte, sometimes called the perfume island, is the source of a large percentage of the total world production of this precious essence. The plantations of ylang-ylang cover the fields and the gentle slopes of the hills of this beautiful island. The first thing one notices, though, is the grotesque forms of the trees. The branches look as if a giant hand bent them down, curving them around the gnarled, light-gray trunks. But this is not natural. It is the result of systematic manipulation.

Once the ylang-ylang tree reaches shoulder height, where the flowers can still be reached conveniently, the branches are forced downward. If this is not done, the tree grows straight and tall, bearing its precious blossoms too high to be gathered easily. Then, the tree is good only for lumber.

Even before you can pick out the ylang-ylang tree from the surrounding tropical greenery, its heady scent attracts your attention. Although its flowers are not outstanding, their strong perfume is unforgettable. Actually, the unaccustomed eye will find it difficult to spot the flowers, as they can hardly be distinguished from the leaves. Only when the flowers mature do they take on a soft yellow hue. And when that happens, it is time to gather them.

On our tropical island, the ylang-ylang tree starts to produce flowers at two or three years of age. The abundance of its flowers is a wonderful example of the Creator’s generous spirit! Between May and December, gatherers relieve each tree of from two to four pounds [1-2 kg] of flowers every 15 days. Flowers are also produced from January through April, but these are spoiled by the tropical rains.

When the flowers are being gathered, all in the family lend a hand, especially the women and the children. The gathering is easy, as the branches are low. The flowers are gathered into a kangas—the local term for a large basket made from plaited coconut leaves. Can you picture a child carrying on her head a pliable kangas overflowing with flowers? The mass of 50 or 60 pounds [20-30 kg] of flowers appears to swallow up her little head as she and others walk single file along the road to the place where the essence will be distilled.

Now begin 24 hours of intensive work to distill the essence. Under an enormous alambic, or still, a fire burns continuously. Inside the alambic, 440 pounds [200 kg] of mature flowers float in 18 gallons [70 L.] of boiling water. The distillation coil must be cooled to just the right temperature for the essence to be of the highest quality. Up to a quart of highly concentrated essence can be extracted from this quantity of flowers, the exact amount depending on the region they are from. Additional essence of a lower concentration can also be extracted from the same boiling. Finally, the essence is exported to Europe to be used in blending luxury perfumes.

Perhaps now you can understand why the island of Mayotte is called the perfume island. Truly, the delightful fragrance of ylang-ylang in the air of our island adds much to our appreciation of the Creator’s handiwork.

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