This plant is now in a dangerous situation: the active felling of sandalwood trees due to their valuable qualities can lead to complete extinction if you do not take harsh measures (as India, Nepal and other Asian countries did). The article tells in detail about what this tree is valuable for and why it began to be cultivated on numerous plantations.
Application in the modern world
Sandalwood is the generic name for products made from the Santalum family tree that grows in Asia, Australia and numerous Pacific islands. It includes:
- sandalwood oil, which is widely used in perfumes and ritual rites;
- sandalwood, from the wood of which various things are produced: from beads to furniture;
- the coloring matter is often red.
Also, some natives of the Pacific islands use sandalwood and sunflower seeds for food, although for a European their taste will seem too harsh. In fact, sandalwood is an inaccurate name, but rather more pleasant to pronounce, but it is called a little differently at home: in Sanskrit it sounds like a chandan (translated as “brilliant”), later transformed into a santalum or santalum tree. The same name is used by botanists and scientists who research useful properties and try to develop a new variety capable of more active growth.
Some facts
Sandalwood is a semi-parasite plant that feeds on the juices of others located near plants for the first few years of its life, digging into their roots. Next, the sandalwood takes its roots into the soil, and it is not whimsical at all: it can grow in sand and clay areas. In natural growth, it can reach a height of ten meters and a hundred centimeters in girth, although the tree needs to grow at least 50 years to such sizes.
Varieties of sandalwood are about 12 species and even more than forty subspecies, but the following are considered the most valuable:
- Santalum is white (in Russia it is sometimes called yellow). In most Hindu countries, it is considered a sacred tree. It is the wood and the roots of this species that contains the maximum amount of essential oil (up to 10%), therefore, in the last century, the mass felling of this plant led to the fact that sandalwood had to be listed in the Red Book as a vulnerable species. Currently, the export of sandalwood and essential oil from India is prohibited.
- Yashi's sandalwood is as valuable as his fellow man, but mostly lives on the islands of Fiji and Tonga in the wild. Between 1809 and 1816, the tree was almost destroyed by profit-seeking merchants, so now this species of sandalwood is very rare and is also listed in the Red Book.
- Santalum spicatum is an Australian version that is less valuable but more common. It is he who has been actively cultivated in Australia in recent decades: plantations occupy more than 15 thousand acres of land, and a ton of raw materials on the market ranges from 16 thousand dollars per ton.
Unfortunately, smuggling and illegal cutting of sandalwood takes place in all places where it grows, despite the active attempts of the authorities to protect this species. In order for the tree to gain the strength of essential oils, it must be at least 15 years old, and 30 year olds are especially valued. That is why there is a real hunt for wild trees of this species.
The main application of sandalwood
The most important component that this plant is cultivated for is the essential oil. It is extracted from wood by steam distillation. About two hundred kilograms of a viscous, light brown with a yellow tint substance are obtained from each ton of raw material - this is sandalwood oil, highly valued by all perfumers and doctors.
The antiseptic properties of sandalwood oil were noticed by the healers in ancient times, it was used to treat inflammatory processes on the skin. It is also used for:
- accelerating the process of soft tissue recovery;
- the fight against fungi of various kinds, as well as parasites and bacteria.
- as a diuretic and expectorant;
- stimulation of libido and potency;
- normalization and stabilization of blood pressure, as well as problems associated with sleep disturbance.
In modern industry, the essential oil of this tree is used to make soaps, perfumes, and various cosmetics. It is worth noting that white Santalum oil and its Australian relative differ in cost. The first is very expensive, such a sandalwood in perfume is used only by branded manufacturers, and the second from the Australian sandalwood has a cost several times lower, therefore it is more affordable for ordinary users, although inferior in durability.
Wood as a valuable product
The second most valuable raw material that sandalwood gives is fragrant wood; various souvenir products are made from it: figurines, caskets, beads and bracelets, as well as small interior items and less often furniture. All these items are quite expensive, since sandalwood products have a very persistent aroma that does not dry out even after a dozen years.
The wood itself of this tree is very dense, heavy and not subject to damage by insects, even termites bypass it! The only minus is that when drying sandalwood planks undergo deformations, so the craftsmen have a number of specific manipulations in their arsenal to give the product from this tree the desired shape.
Sandalwood paste
People who profess Hinduism strongly believe that sandalwood is the fragrance of the gods that can rid the house of evil spirits and negative energy, so they often light aroma lamps with its smell, rub the area between the eyebrows, stimulating stereotypes that are not clouded by stereotypes, and also use special sandalwood pasta in various religious rituals. It is made from the highest quality sandalwood, dried and ground into powder, which is then mixed with a small amount of water and saffron (for a bright red color). It is noteworthy that the preparation of sandalwood paste is allowed only to the elite: these are pure-minded brahmanas (priests in Hinduism) who constantly live at the temple and use special equipment to grind pieces of wood.
Sandalwood sticks
Incense sticks are also often made from sandalwood paste: sandalwood in this form is almost always present at meditations, various chatings (conversations with the Guru), funerals, and other significant events in the life of people in Asia. To do this, thin wooden torches were coated with a thin layer and dried in the sun, and, if necessary, burned: a thin stream of fragrant smoke was considered blessed, with its help the human soul could achieve a divine state and get rid of negative qualities of character.
Sandalwood Pterocarpus
So botanists call another type of sandalwood. More precisely, this is a subspecies with reddish wood, which due to external similarity and smell is mistakenly considered a sandalwood. This tree is also actively used for the extraction of essential oil, although it is significantly inferior in quality, and dye is also mass-produced from it.
It was he who was first brought to Russia a few centuries ago, moreover, it was the red sandalwood that gave the new word: “sandal, sandalwood, ” which means it turns red, and later - get drunk, get very drunk. It has long been known that people who abuse alcohol constantly have a red nose, and those who saw sandalwood for the first time felt its amazing aroma and involuntarily sniffed the powder closer, staining their nose in the paint. Since then, the word was transformed, but then forgotten.
What is the scent of sandalwood?
How to distinguish this smell from dozens of other aromas used not only in perfumery, but also in cosmetology, as well as other areas of human life? It should be noted right away that this fragrance has no analogues: it is unique and inimitable. The smell of sandalwood is quite saturated, woody musky with a creamy tint, warm and uniform.
The one who once knew him will no longer confuse him with any other, although when interacting with other aromas his note may slightly change in shade. It ideally combines with the smell of roses, geraniums, with almost all citrus and woody notes, as well as with fruit and jasmine tones.
