Rich. Elegant. Fruity, tangy undertones. Just but a few attributes that describe the beautiful scent of the ylang ylang flower that has hypnotised the perfume industry.

Experts in essential oils say the Indian Ocean islands of Madagascar and Comoros have been the dominant world suppliers of ylang-ylang for a century.

With an estimated global demand of 90 tonnes per year, the tropical, exotic flower is a major revenue earner for the two island nations.

Comoros, which enjoyed virtual monopoly for decades before Madagascar caught up, earned approximately $5.56 million from the export of ylang-ylang flowers in 2022. That year, ylang-ylang oil was the fourth most exported product from Comoros.

The Ylang-ylang tree, Cananga Odorata, grows quickly, typically reaching an average height of 12 metres, though some can grow as tall as 42.5 meters. However, farmers often prune the trees to make it easier to harvest the flowers.

The trees take about 3-4 years to start blooming. Initially, harvesting occurs twice a year, but as the tree matures, the frequency of harvest increases.

Ylang-ylang flowers change colour as they grow. They start as a greenish-yellow and gradually turn into a rich yellow hue.

The flowers emit their strongest fragrance at night. To capture this scent at its peak, the flowers are picked at sunrise and immediately taken for processing.

During the peak blooming season, harvesters can collect between 25 to 40 kilogrammes of flowers per day. A single tree can yield around 5 kilogrammes of flowers per year.

The freshly picked flowers are transported to processing facilities, where the essential oil is often extracted using small artisanal distillation units powered by direct steam. These processing units typically range in size from 150 to 500 litres.

The flowers must be processed within two hours of harvesting. Before adding the flowers, water is heated in the distillation unit until it boils. The flowers are then packed to fill about one-third of the unit.

The distillation process takes 18-24 hours, depending on the size of the unit and the expertise of the operator.

It takes approximately 40 kilogrammes of ylang-ylang flowers to produce one liter of essential oil.

Additional oil can be extracted with further processing. The resulting essential oil is then exported to major perfume producers including France, US, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The oil often returns to Africa in the form of luxury designer perfumes, enhancing the elegance of those who wear them.