John Denver’s inspiration for writing the lines “You fill up my senses like a night in the forest, like the mountain in springtime…” in his memorable Annie’s Song, was probably the overpowering scent from a bunch of Tuberose flowers. Known by the name ‘Rajnigandha’ in India, Tuberose is widely used in making flower garlands for offering in temples or in floral decorations at marriages. The flowers, which grow well in warm temperatures, have a strong, sensual fragrance that overshadows everything else. So powerful is its scent that a bouquet of Tuberose flowers can fill a room for days at a stretch.
Believed to have originated in Mexico, Tuberose is now cultivated in many tropical countries. The sensuous fragrance of Tuberose has been used in perfumery since the 17th century and was quite popular with the French royalty. The scent has been described by many adjectives - intoxicating, luxurious, rich, opulent and potent, to name a few. Like other white florals, Tuberose has a distinct feminine aura due to which it is used mainly in perfumes for women. Tuberose oil is extracted using either enfleurage process or solvent extraction process. The natural extract is extremely expensive, with almost 3600 kg of flowers required to produce half a kilogram of oil. In modern perfumery, synthetically produced tuberose oil is used as it is a cheaper option and provides adequate flexibility in tweaking the aroma. Tuberose can be used as a stand-alone or in combination with other floral notes.
The popularity of this flower can be gauged from the fact that a superhit Bollywood movie (and its title song) named ‘Rajnigandha’ was released in the year 1974.
Tuberose has been used in Grace perfume from Hvnly.
Author: Sandipani Padhi