What is Agarwood and How is it Formed ?

What is Agarwood ?

The Aquilaria tree is a soft, weak tree. When the tree is subjected to damage from external factors such as physical impact, insect infestation, or natural calamities like lightning, storms, floods, and droughts, or even from human activities like wartime bombings, the tree responds by secreting a protective resin. This resin acts as a natural antibiotic, surrounding and healing the injured area to prevent further harm to the plant.

Over time, under favorable conditions of climate, soil, and natural elements, accumulating the breath of heaven and earth, the wound site nourished by the tree will transform and accumulate into an essential oil and that is is agarwood. The longer agarwood is accumulated, the greater the essential oil content. However, not all Aquilaria trees produce agarwood. In nature, out of thousands of Aquilaria trees, only one tree produces agarwood.

Agarwood Species And Distribution ?

The tree that produces agarwood is a plant belonging to the Thymelaeaceae family, the genus (Aquilaria) includes 17 species, and the Aquilaria tree has the scientific name Aquilaria crassna. As the type that produces the most agarwood, it is scattered in Asian countries: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, China.