Boswellia frereana
Frankincense
Deep, Rich,
Woody, Sonorous
Known as the “King of Frankincense,” B. frereana is renowned for its impressive tears of resin, which sometimes measure over a foot in length! The trees are found only in Somaliland and Puntland (Somalia), occurring at low elevations on the coast and into the sub-coastal hills, up to 500m. They are often found growing directly out of limestone or volcanic rocks, and are locally called Maydi (the resin) or Yagcar (the tree itself). The harvesters refer to the trees as their “camels,” that yield the valuable resin “milk.” In fact, the name for frereana resin, maydi, is the word that Somalis use to describe a female camel that yields plentiful milk!
SOMALILAND
Where it
comes from
Our resin is sourced from inland farms in the Erigavo District, Sanaag Region, Somaliland, near where we source our B. carteri resin. In Somaliland and Somalia, resin sales are often brokered by middlemen who take a large amount of the money for themselves. As a result, harvesters often make very little money for their labor. To subvert this system, we partner directly with harvesting communities, purchasing from the landowners and harvesters directly so we know the money is going to them. This also allows us to monitor the trees that produce our resin to make sure they’re healthy and regenerating. In addition to monitoring the trees, we are also establishing a nursery to support natural regeneration of the species.
Essential Oil
Breakdown
Family
Burseraceae
Origin
Somaliland
Extraction
Hydrodistillation
Characteristics
Boswellia frereana essential oil produces a deep, sonorously rich scent known for its alluring quality
Essential Oil Composition
α-Thujene
p-Cymene
Sabinene
Terpinen-4-ol
α-Pinene
Limonene
Phellandrene dimers
Thujadiene
1,8 Cineole
β -Bourbonene
37.37%
14.56%
7.90%
5.34%
4.95%
3.35%
3.30%
2.56%
1.96%
1.91%