What makes Palo Santo smell so good? The essential oils! But they’re not there in live trees. Yes, that’s right, when bursera graveolens is alive, there are no aromatic essential oils. So where do they come from? First, healthy trees or branches naturally fall from old age, seasonal storms, lightning, winds, or animal interference. Next they sit on the forest floor for 4-10 years, undergoing a mysterious curing process. On the outside, smooth bark branches begin to contract and develop texture. Inside, the wood starts to produce the medicinal, aromatic oils that give it its characteristic scent. Biologists still aren’t quite sure how this happens, but it has earned the tree it’s name, “Palo Santo” or “holy wood” for bringing life after death. And that’s the miraculous story of palo santo!
