Ylang-Ylang Tree

About the Ylang-Ylang Tree

Ylang-ylang is the perfume tree. Its drooping, star-shaped flowers open green and turn golden-yellow, releasing a rich, sweet, exotic fragrance that fills the garden, especially in the evening. The essential oil distilled from these flowers is a classic ingredient in fine perfumery. The tree grows quickly, with long, gracefully arching branches, and can flower for much of the year in warm, humid climates. Plant it near a terrace, path or window to enjoy the scent. It suits Mexico's humid tropical lowlands. Grown on our farms in Yucatán and Chiapas and shipped via DHL.

How to Care for It

Plant in full sun or light shade in rich, slightly acidic, well-drained soil. Water regularly and keep it moist during dry periods. Feed with a balanced fertiliser two or three times a year. It is frost-tender and dislikes cold below about 5 °C. Branches can be brittle, so shelter it from strong winds; prune young trees to encourage a lower, bushier shape with flowers within reach.

Grow fruit most people have never tasted. Our exotic fruit trees, from Monthong durian and Emperor lychee to jaboticaba, achachairú and red finger lime, are raised on our farms in Yucatán and Chiapas and shipped by DHL across Mexico. Most love heat and humidity; several do beautifully in large pots.

Growing Profile

Botanical name

Cananga odorata

Family

Annonaceae

Native to

Southeast Asia and the Pacific

Mature height

8–15 m

Plant spacing

6 m

Time to first flowers

2–3 years

Light

Full sun

Water

Moderate

Cold tolerance

down to 5 °C

Best climates

Humid tropics

Grows in a pot

Best in the ground

Ships from

Our farms in Yucatán & Chiapas