Ylang-ylang

1. Botanical Overview

  • Family: Annonaceae
  • Common Names: Ylang-ylang, perfume tree, ilang-ilang
  • Origin: Tropical Asia (Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia)
  • Tree Type: Evergreen, medium-sized tree (up to 12–20 m in height)
  • Leaves: Large, glossy, lance-shaped leaves (10–25 cm long)
  • Flowers: Highly fragrant, yellow-green petals; flowers appear throughout the year
  • Fruit: Small, cylindrical, green turning black when mature

2. Climate & Soil Requirements

  • Climate: Tropical, humid; prefers 20–35°C; sensitive to frost
  • Rainfall: 1500–3000 mm/year; well-distributed
  • Soil: Deep, fertile, well-drained soils; pH 5.0–7.5
  • Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade; tolerates light shade when young

3. Propagation

  • Seeds: Viable for only a short period; germination takes 3–4 weeks
  • Vegetative Methods:
    • Air-layering: Common commercial method; high success rate
    • Cuttings: Semi-hardwood cuttings in mist house
    • Grafting: Less common but used for elite clones
  • Spacing: 5–7 m between trees

4. Flowering & Harvesting

  • Flowering: Year-round, peak during warm months
  • Harvesting: Flowers harvested early morning before full bloom for best essential oil quality
  • Post-Harvest Handling: Flowers must be processed immediately for steam distillation

5. Uses

Essential Oil Production

  • Ylang-ylang essential oil is distilled from flowers.
  • Used in perfumery, aromatherapy, cosmetics, and sometimes in traditional medicine.
  • Essential oil grades: Extra, I, II, III, and Concrete depending on distillation time.

Agroforestry & Landscape

  • Shade tree, companion crop with high-value trees like Agarwood (Aquilaria spp.), Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans), and Sandalwood (Santalum album)
  • Enhances biodiversity and soil cover
  • Attracts pollinators (moths, bees)

Traditional Medicine

  • Flowers, bark, and leaves used for calming, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic purposes in traditional herbal medicine

6. Challenges

  • Sensitive to waterlogging and strong winds
  • Pest issues: aphids, mealybugs, and scale insects
  • Diseases: leaf spot, root rot

7. Agroforestry Integration Example

  • Companion Crops: Agarwood, Sandalwood, Nutmeg
  • Benefits:
    • Shade and microclimate regulation for young seedlings
    • Diversified income streams: essential oil + timber + agroforestry products
  • Harvest Timing: Flower harvest starts ~4–5 years after planting; tree can live 50+ years