DELICIOUS ATTRACTION
WHAT IS IT ABOUT WHITE FLOWERING TREES?
INTOXICATING CANOPY OF TIGLIO (TILIA CORDATA) IN FLOWER IN JULY
SOME OF THE STRONGEST NATURAL FRAGRANCE COMES FROM THE BLOSSOMS OF OUR NATIVE TREES
IN JUNE & JULY THE MOUNTAINS OVERLOOKING THE LIGURIAN COAST ARE FILLED WITH THIS NATURAL FRAGRANCE. THIS IS THE INSPIRATION OF LARIA.
LARIA IS CAPTURES THE SCENT OF CHESTNUT BLOSSOM FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PERFUMERY.
JEAN-BAPTISTE-CAMILLE COROT, CHESTNUT GROVE IN ITALIAN MOUNTAINS 1835. YOU CAN SEE THAT THE TREES ON THE RIGHT ARE IN BLOSSOM. COROT WENT THROUGH LIGURIA ON HIS WAY TO ROME
IN JULY THE MOST IMPORTANT FRAGRANT TREE IN RURAL LIGURIA IS THE MAGESTIC CHESTNUT. THIS TREE IS GROWN ON ROUGH TERRACES FOR ITS FRUIT (CHESTNUTS) WHICH ARE USED FOR FLOUR, BECAUSE OUR REGION IS TOO MOUNTAINOUS TO GROW WHEAT. ITS FLOWERS ARE A FAVORITE SOURCE OF POLLEN FOR BEES AND ITS COPPPICED TRUNKS ARE USED FOR POLES FOR VINEYARDS.
OTHER TREES WITH FRAGRANT WHITE FLOWERS IN LIGURIA ARE TILIA WHICH GROW DOWN IN THE VALLEYS AND FLOWER IN LATE JUNE AND PSEUDO-ACACIAS WHICH FLOWER IN MAY. A FRAGRANT NATIVE SHRUB THAT CAN ALSO BE FOUND FLOWERING WILD IN MID SUMMER IS THE LIGUSTRUM VULGARE (OR PRIVET)
THE FRAGRANCE OF FLOWERS COMES FROM VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (OR VOCs). THAT JUST MEANS COMPOUNDS THAT MOVE ENOUGH TO GET UP YOUR NOSE! FLOWERS SMELL IN ORDER TO ATTRACT POLLINATORS LIKE BEES. IN FACT CHESTNUT HONEY, FROM BEES THAT FEED ON THE CHESTNUT BLOSSOMS, IS ONE OF THE TASTIEST AND MOST CHARACTERISTICALY ITALIAN. FRAGRANCE ATTRACTS BEES MORE THAN VISUAL GAUDINESS. THE FLOWERS WILL BE MOST FRAGRANT AT THE BEST TIME FOR FERTILISATION. THE REASON WHY SO MANY FLOWERS SMELL SIMILAR IS THAT THEY HAVE SIMILAR VOCs: MOST COMMONLY LINALOOL OR GERANYL ACETATE.