Cananga odorata

The name ylang-ylang is the Spanish spelling of the Tagalog term for the tree, ilang-ilang - a reduplicative form of the word ilang, meaning "wilderness", alluding to the tree's natural habitat.^[7] A common mistranslation is "flower of flowers".^[6]

The tree is also called the fragrant cananga, Macassar-oil plant, or perfume tree.^[8][9] It is called kenanga in Malay, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kanaŋa.^[10] Its traditional Polynesian names include mataʻoi (Cook Islands), mohokoi (Tonga), mosoʻoi (Samoa), motoʻoi (Hawaii), and mokosoi, mokasoi or mokohoi (Fiji).^[11] Other traditional names include sampangi (Telugu).^[12]

Cananga odorata is a fast-growing tree of the custard apple family Annonaceae. Its growth exceeds 5 m (16 ft) per year, and it attains an average height of 12 m (39 ft) in an ideal climate.^[6] The compound evergreen leaves are pinnate, smooth and glossy, and 13–21 cm (5–8.5 in) long. Leaflets are oval, pointed and with wavy margins. The flower is drooping, long-stalked, with six narrow, greenish-yellow (rarely pink) petals, rather like a sea star in appearance, and yields a highly fragrant essential oil. Its pollen is shed as permanent tetrads.^[13]

Cananga odorata var. fruticosa, dwarf ylang-ylang, grows as small tree or compact shrub.

The plant is native to Maritime Southeast Asia and Near Oceania, from the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Queensland, Australia. It is also native to parts of Thailand, and Vietnam. It has been introduced to other tropical regions in the Pacific Islands, South Asia, Africa, and the Americas.^[1] It is commonly grown in Madagascar,^[14] Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and the Comoros Islands.^[15] It grows in full or partial sun, and prefers the acidic soils of its native rainforest habitat. Ylang-ylang has been cultivated in temperate climates under conservatory conditions.

In Madagascar, it is grown in plantations with Hewittia malabarica (L.) Suresh as a groundcover plant.^[14]

Its clusters of black fruit are an important food item for birds, such as the collared imperial pigeon, purple-tailed imperial pigeon, Zoe's imperial pigeon, superb fruit dove, pink-spotted fruit dove, coroneted fruit dove, orange-bellied fruit dove, and wompoo fruit dove.^[16] The Sulawesi red-knobbed hornbill serves as an effective seed disperser for C. odorata.^[17]

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The essential oil is used in aromatherapy. It is believed to relieve high blood pressure and normalize sebum secretion for skin problems, and is considered to be an aphrodisiac. The oil from ylang-ylang is widely used in perfumery for oriental- or floral-themed perfumes (such as Chanel No. 5). Ylang-ylang blends well with most floral, fruit, and wood scents.

In Indonesia, ylang-ylang flowers are spread on the bed of newlywed couples. In the Philippines, its flowers, together with the flowers of the sampaguita, are strung into a necklace (lei) and worn by women and used to adorn religious images.

Ylang-ylang's essential oil makes up 29% of the Comoros' annual export (1998).^[18]

Ylang-ylang is grown in Madagascar and exported globally for its essential oils.^[19]

Ylang-ylang essential oil is one of the basic ingredients of macassar oil.

• Jasminum sambac, the Arabian jasmine, another plant widely used in perfumes
• Domaine Ylang Ylang