What is palo santo?

Palo santo is the aromatic wood of Bursera graveolens, a small tree of the tropical dry forests of Ecuador, Peru, and neighboring parts of South and Central America. The Spanish name means "holy wood," a reflection of the wood's documented ceremonial use in multiple Indigenous South American traditions. Botanically it keeps distinguished company: the Burseraceae family also gives us frankincense and myrrh.

The aroma, and why fallen wood matters

Palo santo smoke is sweet and woody with bright citrus notes and a hint of mint, a profile driven by aromatic compounds including limonene. That character only develops in wood that has fallen naturally and aged on the forest floor for years; freshly cut wood never acquires it. The traditional harvest practice, collecting fallen wood and never felling living trees, is therefore both the ethical standard and the quality standard. Commercial demand has put pressure on wild populations.

Burning characteristics

Light the end of a stick until it smokes, blow out the flame, and let it smolder over a heatproof dish with sand.

Related aromatics

• White Sage Smudge — the California ceremonial classic.
• Nag Champa — India's iconic masala incense.

Format

Sold by the stick. We make no health or therapeutic claims.

Storage

Store sticks in a dry place.

Palo santo at a glance

Botanical name

Bursera graveolens

Family

Burseraceae (with frankincense and myrrh)

Native region

Tropical dry forests of South America (Ecuador, Peru)

Aroma

Sweet, woody, citrus, a hint of mint

Format

Individual sticks