The Mimosa is back in bloom!
Written on 20 February 2021
Often used in perfumes, the Mimosa is known in France as « The Winter Sun ». From the Acacia family, this beautiful tree made it’s debut on Planet Earth some 250 million years ago. To learn more about it, read on…
The History and Culture of the Mimosa
Originally from Australia and boasting over 800 different species, the mimosa is celebrated for it’s lovely golden blossoms which eminate a very special fragrance. At once powerful and delicate, it is resplendent through the hills of the south of France, casting a yellow coat across the region in winter. Folklore tells a tale of a peasant who collected a several branches of wild mimosa, not yet in bloom. He carelessly left it on a compost heap overnight. In the morning when he awoke, the branches were bursting with flowers. This story sheds light on the development of the specialized greenhouses in Pegomas and the Augier family. By creating the ultimate environment for a mimosa, warm and with a bit of moisture, the « Mimosistes » or producers of Mimosa, have perfected the art of creating blossoms on demand – ready in time for Christmas.
How to capture the fragrance of the Mimosa?
The blossoms of the mimosa cannot be distilled, because the content of fragrance in each flower is much too volatile and often not strong enough. We can only capture the essence of mimosa by extracting the sap of its branches, which is then purified to obtain the absolute form of the fragrance of mimosa used in perfumes.
The subtle note of mimosa is feathery, powdered, floral, green, warm, and can evoke thoughts of honey or fresh hay. Mimosa can also be extracted into a concrete. In the olfactive pyramid, It Is used as a heart note, that characterises the soul of a perfume. Close to the heart of the residents of the south of France and It’s visitors, this tree and it’s flowers are a comfort, reminding us of carnaval season, or of the legendary “bataille des fleurs,” or flower battles, these special celebrations of flowers in the south of France, and of winter bouquets.
Below are some of our fragrances featuring the Mimosa:
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