Broom

Broom, also called genet or genista, is a wild Mediterranean shrub that produces masses of bright yellow flowers with a rich, honeyed, slightly animalic scent. Broom absolute extracted from these flowers has a complex character, sweet and floral with warm, hay-like undertones and a subtle dark, almost leathery depth.

It is one of those fascinating natural ingredients that defies easy categorization. Broom occupies an interesting space in perfumery, straddling floral, honey, and animalic categories simultaneously.

The sweetness is natural and uncontrived, like wild honey harvested on a warm hillside. The slightly animalic facet adds a sensual depth that makes broom far more interesting than simpler sweet notes.

In fragrances, broom adds a distinctive golden warmth to floral and oriental compositions. It pairs beautifully with mimosa, orange blossom, iris, tobacco, and amber.

Broom is a particularly important ingredient in traditional French perfumery from the Grasse region, where the plant grows abundantly on the surrounding hillsides.