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Ylang-ylang The ylang ylang tree is an evergreen that grows to 20 meters high, but can be trained as a bush by a continuous pruning. It likes sunny but not dry conditions. The tree is covered year-round with drooping, long-stalked, fragrant flowers that have six narrow petals 5 cm (2 inches) long. The flowers start off white in color, then change to green-yellow, and then to orange-reddish. They smell exceptionally strongly at night which lures moths, which are necessary for fertilization. The leaves of the ylang-ylang are shiny, 10 cm long, with wavy edges. They grow on thin drooping branches. . The flowers are harvested when
the petals turn yellow. It takes about 45 kilograms of flowers to
produce one liter of essence. Distillation begins as soon as the
flowers are picked. The blossoms are simmered in water for two or
three hours. As the mixture boils, the essential oil is condensed
and drawn off through a drip tube. Once the water evaporates, more
is poured into the vat so that the total distillation time is about
six or seven hours.
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