What's new New posts New media New media comments Latest activity. Media New media New comments Search media. Members Current visitors. Log in Register. Search titles only. Search Advanced search…. Donations to support ATG. New posts. Search forums. Log in. JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Fragrance Terms. Thread starter churchilllafemme Start date Oct 21, First Prev 2 of 6 Go to page. Patchouli Back in my hippie days in the late s, when I was completely ignorant about fragrances, I thought that patchouli was some type of herb and spice blend, sort of like a potpourri.
For many people my age who grew up in the sixties, it was the smell of headshops, where it apparently was used sometimes to mask the smell of marijuana.
It was supposed to have been brought to Western markets by backpackers on the 'Hippie Trail' through India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. Its distinctive earthy scent appealed to the back-to-the-earthers of the time. Patchouli really was ubiquitous then, and because of its strong, overwhelming scent seemingly everywhere, I eventually grew to dislike it. In addition, a lot of the patchouli used in the s was low quality. However, more recently I have begun to really appreciate its presence in shaving and cosmetic products.
Patchouli from the Tamil pachai, pachilai, or pacculi, meaning 'green leaf;' or Hindi pacholi, 'to scent' is a species of the aromatic family Lamiaceae, commonly called the mint or deadnettle family. It grows as a perennial bushy shrub, with strong upright stems reaching a height of around 3 feet and bearing soft, hairy leaves and small, pale, pink-purple to white flowers.
It grows well in warm to tropical climates, thriving in hot weather but not direct sunlight. The flowers produce seeds, but the plants are commonly propagated from cuttings.
