In the Greenhouses at the Munich Botanical Gardens.

Comprising approximately 55 acres, the Munich Botanical Gardens, in the burrough of Nymphenburg, is one of the most important botanical gardens in the world. It contains approximately 14,000 plants from diverse biospheres.

Inside one of the greenhouses, we saw many tropical plants and flowers, including some that produce essential oils. First, examples of colorful, tropical flowers (click on the photos to enlarge):

Don't know what this is, but it's cool lookin'.

The next one looks a bit like a hydrangea but I don't think it is:

And the final one is called a Bleeding Heart (I verified this by Googling the name):

Bleeding Heart flowers.

Now to photos of tropical plants that yield essential oils. The first tree we saw, Cananga odorata (Ylang Ylang), grows in Indonesia and the Philippines. According to the sign, it is also found in southern India, Reunion, and the Pacific Islands. Ylang ylang is a Malayan word for " flower of flowers". (Apparently it is called "Ilangbaum" - Ylang tree - in German.)

Under the canopy of a Ylang Ylang tree.

The essential oil is distilled from the fragrant blossoms but may also be extracted with a solvent, producing a concrete and an absolute. The warm, velvety, sweet oil is used extensively in soaps and perfumes but also has many medicinal properties. Its antimicrobial constituents have shown effectiveness against stubborn infections such as Staphilococcus aureus, Pseudomonas, Candidiasis, and Trichomonas. Ylang ylang essential oil is also considered to be balancing to male and female hormones. Here is a formula for anxiety that uses Bergamot, Lavender, and Ylang Ylang. This blend can be mixed in a liquid gel base for a soothing shower cleanser.

Anti-Anxiety Blend:
2 drops Bergamot (Citrus aurantium var. bergamia)
5 drops Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
3 drops Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata)
Blend the oils and add 3 drops to a bath, or use as a hand or footbath daily.

Jojoba tree.

Jojoba: A wonderful base oil that resembles the waxy substance secreted by our own skin comes from the jojoba tree. This oil is perfect for plumping up aging skin and minimizing wrinkles. It does not go rancid as readily as other base oils. (Base oils are used to dilute essential oils for massage or skin care).

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus): A Southeast Asian plant familiar to aficionados of Thai cooking, Lemongrass also produces a useful essential oil that stimulates lymphatic drainage and is sedating to the nervous system.

Lemongrass.

Distilled from partially dried, chopped leaves, most lemongrass comes from India and Guatemala. Traditionally, this oil has been used as a fever reducer and for infectious diseases. Research shows that it may also be beneficial for lowering serum cholesterol. Lemongrass is in the same family as citronella and palmarosa.

Oil packets on the Kaffir Lime leaf.

When we came upon a Kaffir Lime tree, Georg pulled off a leaf, held it up to the light and showed us the oil packets on the underside of the leaf. They really showed up nicely. (If you click to enlarge the photograph, the oil packets are more readily visible.)

Kaffir Lime, or Citrus hystrix, essential oil has many qualities of other citrus varieties, but is especially calming and uplifting.  It is a key ingredient in Young Living's Stress-Away roll-on blend.The sign said it is native to South East Asia and is often used in hair products, such as shampoo.

Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin).

To the right is a photograph of a healthy-looking Patchouli plant (Pogostemon cablin). Patchouli, a member of the mint family, was traditionally used in India to repel moths. Fabric and clothing exporters scattered the leaves liberally between the layers of material, infusing their wares with the classic scent so reminiscent of Indian yard-goods. Flower children of the 60's will remember the aroma of patchouli incense, often used to cover up the scent of marijuana smoke :-). It is commonly mixed with other essential oils in perfumes and soaps.

Jasminum sambac, a relative of Jasminum grandifolium, has shiny, emerald green leaves and a delicate flower with slightly more rounded leaves than it's more familiar counter part, night-blooming Jasmine. Both plants are native to southern India and Sri Lanka and are used extensively in the perfume industry. Interestingly enough, the two species have one area in which they may have opposite actions: traditionally, Jasminum grandifolium has been used to increase milk production in lactating women, but research has shown that the sambac species may actually suppress lactation. Either way, it's probably a good idea to stay away from this essential oil when pregnant or nursing.

FYI: Jasmine essential oil is extracted more efficiently using a food-grade solvent (usually hexane) rather than by distillation; because of the potential for a small residual amount of the solvent in the final product, internal use of Jasmine essential oil is not recommended.

Nutmeg tree.

Egg nog aficionados may recognize the leaves of the nutmeg tree in the photo to the left. Myristica fragrans, nutmeg, grows in areas of Asia (it is indigenous to the Moluccas) and the West Indies, most notably Grenada, but this oil is considered to be slightly less desirable than the oil made from seeds from the East Indies. The United States is one of the main essential oil producing countries, along with Singapore and Canada, though it is extracted from imported seeds.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, spice trading was a particularly lucrative business, especially for the Dutch. When the Dutch found out that the native Moluccans were secretly selling some of their nutmeg seeds to others (such as the Portugese), they eventually slaughtered the entire population of the South Saa islands and cut down most of the trees. Ah, what "civilizations" do for money...

Excessive consumption of nutmeg and/or nutmeg oil has been known to create hallucinations, nausea, tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), and (with the oil) skin sensitization. I have heard a story about how the slaves who were sent to the New World in the holds of ships and were given little food or water would try to eat the nutmeg seeds that were being transported along with them (perhaps the nutmeg was picked up in the West Indies and came the rest of the way to the United States). Anyway, many of the slaves were driven mad and some even died from ingesting too much nutmeg.

Apparently some less than intelligent types use nutmeg purposely to try to "get high", even though it creates the above side-effects. It takes all kinds...

Nutmeg essential oil can be quite healing to the adrenal glands if used appropriately and in moderation. Another of its main benefits is that it has been shown to inhibit platelet aggregation (the sticking together of platelets in the blood). Platelets are important for proper blood clotting; all blood cells work better and flow better when they are not stuck together.

Another spice that created controversy around the same time was black pepper (Piper nigrum) - Schwartzer Pfeffer in German. Because of the high demand, prices were quite high. Pliny the Elder called it more expensive than gold. It was one of the first spices to be transported along the famous spice trail from the Far East to Europe.

Black Pepper, Piper nigrum.

Piper nigrum also produces an important and useful essential oil. It is mildly stimulating and makes a wonderful addition to bath or shower gel. It promotes digestion; is a cardiovascular, circulatory, and nervous system tonic; and has many anti-microbial qualities. Inhaling pepper essential oil supposedly helps reduce cravings for nicotine. We saw a small pepper tree next to the nutmeg.

Before we went back outside, we came across several pineapple bushes, which I'd never seen before, and another exotic flowering plant (click on the photo to see an enlargement - it's amazing!):
 

Pineapple.

Not sure what it is... looks like it's from outer space!

The next post will showcase the grounds of the botanical gardens including an entire herb garden with a section for essential oil producing plants.