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Pogostemon cablin

Patchouli

Caution

Other names: Patchouly

A tropical mint-family herb with a heavy, earthy leaf aroma.

A perennial with fuzzy ovate leaves and small pale-pink flowers in spikes; the dried and distilled leaves yield a thick, long-lasting essential oil well known in perfumery.

Family
Lamiaceae
Plant type
Perennial herb
What the safety levels mean (expand legend)
  • Generally recognised as safe. Often a common herb with reasonable harvest and use; still read the specific warnings on the card.
  • Information. Primarily informational — details in the text and warnings below matter most.
  • Caution. Needs extra care (dose, duration, sensitive groups, interactions).
  • Risky. Significant risks — verify sources, contraindications and professional guidance.
  • Not for home experimentation. Not suitable to experiment with at home without knowledge and certainty.
  • High risk for internal use. Particular risk with internal use (e.g. alkaloids); avoid prolonged or irresponsible dosing.
  • Not specified. Level not filled in yet — rely on individual warnings and links below.
Patchouli — plant habitus (Wikimedia Commons).

Photograph on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Plant habit

Safety — read before use

For this herb it is important to check warnings, mix-ups and cautions. Start with the Safety section.

Quick overview

A practical summary; details are in the sections below.

Safety grade
Caution details
Scientific sources on the card
Yes — sources are listed with claims Science section
When and what to harvest
  • Leaf — January–December
Full harvest section
Processing methods

Herbal oil, Essential oil, Incense / smoke offering

All methods and recipes on the card
Topics and symptoms

Aura & subtle boundaries (esoteric), Earth element (symbolism), Insect bites (topical)…

Topics section, Symptoms overview

Identification and mix-ups

Shrubby perennial to subshrub in Lamiaceae to about 1 m. Stems square, densely hairy. Leaves opposite, broadly ovate, to 10 cm, deeply veined, irregularly toothed, densely hairy, aromatic. Flowers small, pale purple to white, in dense woolly spikes with long stamens.

Possible mix-ups and risks

Confused with or substituted by Pogostemon heyneanus (Java/Indian patchouli), which differs in its purplish-pink flowers (versus white in P. cablin) and smoother, less hairy foliage. It is not toxic (an aromatic mint-family herb).

Similar herbs

No related herbs are linked yet.

Topics and symptoms

More topics are in the symptoms and topics overview.

Sources

Geographic occurrence

  • Indonesia

    Occasional (garden, cultivation, or fringe of the range)

Harvest

  • LeafJanuary–December

    year-round

    Region: Indonesia

    Notes: Leaves and young shoots before flowering; allowed to wilt before distillation.

Storage

  • Drying(Leaf)

    Dried leaves keep 2 years in an airtight jar; the scent softens and deepens in storage, like the oil, which matures for years.

    Light:
    Out of light.
    Moisture:
    Protect from moisture; the leaves are shade-dried and fermented before distillation.

Processing methods on this herb card

  • Herbal oil(Leaf)Suitability: Medium suitability

    Macerating herbs in a vegetable oil (cold or with gentle heat).

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    Herbal oil is made by steeping dried or fresh material in oil (e.g. olive, sunflower) over time, sometimes with gentle warming. The result is not steam-distilled essential oil — it is a different extract type and usage (often topical or culinary per recipe).

    Temperature, light, and material moisture affect shelf life; rancid oil must be discarded.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

    Patchouli-infused oil

    About 15 minBeginnerScience profile

    Open recipe →

  • Essential oil(Leaf)Suitability: High suitability

    A concentrated aromatic plant product; use depends on the specific product.

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    Essential oil is a concentrated plant product obtained, for example, by steam distillation or pressing. A general drop count or dilution ratio does not establish safe use.

    Choose a finished product intended for your purpose and follow its directions. Do not apply it to skin or swallow it unless the manufacturer explicitly allows that use. This overview is not a recipe for home dilution.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

    The oil is distilled industrially from fermented dried leaves (Indonesia supplies most of the world's output). Dilute to 1–2 % on the skin; do not take internally.

  • Incense / smoke offering(Leaf)Suitability: Medium suitability

    Burning or heating aromatic plant material (smoke, steam).

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    Incense may be dried herb, resin blends, or preparations on charcoal. The effect is sensory and cultural; smoke can irritate airways in sensitive people.

    Ventilate the space; use non-flammable bases and heat-safe vessels.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

Traditional / spiritual use

Kept separate from science — entries are cultural or symbolic, not medical advice.

  • The scent by which a real Kashmir shawl was known

    General

    Historical mentionFolk useHerbal lore

    In the 19th century Indian shawls and cloth were packed with dried patchouli leaves against moths; the earthy scent became the mark of genuine Kashmir goods in Europe and French makers began to imitate it. In China and Malaysia the leaves served as a folk remedy for nausea and headache (guang huo xiang) and as incense. In the 1960s patchouli became the scent of the hippie movement and has since been a base note of oriental perfumes. A historical note.

    Form:
    scent of Kashmir shawls and the sixties movement
    Claim strength:
    Historical mention
    Source note:
    van Beek TA, Joulain D (2018), Flavour Fragr J 33:6–51 (historical section); traditional Chinese materia medica (Huoxiang).

Scientific notes

Each claim lists a study type and a source (URL or DOI) where available. Dose notes from the literature are informational only.

How to read evidence strength and study type labels

Labels summarise how the catalogue entry is tagged — they are not a medical verdict on efficacy. For every row, read the summary, limitations and source link.

Evidence strength

Evidence level not specified
The author did not grade the record; judge from the summary, limitations and source link.
Narrative / orientational literature
Descriptive or expert literature without controlled group comparison — context rather than proof of effect.
Weak evidence
Study or conclusion with major methodological limits; treat only as a pointer for further reading.
Preliminary findings
First or smaller studies — interesting direction, not the final word on efficacy or safety.
Moderate strength of evidence
Moderate strength by study design; sample and context limits still apply.
Stronger evidence
Stronger design or consistency of results within the study's stated limits.
Review article
A review summarises multiple sources; quality depends on review method and field.

Study type

Narrative / expert text
Expert text or overview without a classical study design.
In vitro study
Cell culture or test-tube experiment — does not show an effect in the body.
Animal study
Animal model — transfer to humans is not automatic.
Observational study
Observing groups without random treatment assignment; confounding is possible.
Clinical trial
Human clinical trial; sample size and control group matter.
Randomised controlled trial
Randomised controlled trials are among the stronger designs when well conducted.
Review study
A review aggregates multiple papers — quality depends on selection rules.
Systematic review
Systematic review with explicit search and selection methodology.
Meta-analysis
Statistical pooling of studies; outcome depends on input data and heterogeneity.
Regulatory assessment / monograph (EMA, WHO…)
Regulatory body summary for a herbal product — different context from a single RCT; often about products, not home tea.
Expert monograph (herbal preparations)
Structured literature summary for a plant or drug — quality depends on author and edition year.

  • The review summarises the botany, cultivation, fermentation and distillation of patchouli, over 140 identified oil constituents (patchoulol, alpha-bulnesene, alpha-guaiene, pogostol), its maturing and laboratory data on antimicrobial, insecticidal and anti-inflammatory activity; clinical trials in humans are lacking.

    Narrative / orientational literatureReview studyYear: 2018

    Limitations: Focused on chemistry and the fragrance industry; pharmacology preclinical only.

    van Beek TA, Joulain D — Flavour and Fragrance Journal

    The essential oil of patchouli, Pogostemon cablin: A review

    DOI: 10.1002/ffj.3418

Images

The main photo is in the card header. More images will appear here when available.

Safety

What the warning types mean

The type on each warning helps group themes — it does not replace the separate severity badge.

Internal use
Risks from swallowing, extracts, duration of use or concentration for internal use.
Interactions / medicines
Possible effect on medicines or concurrent treatment — check sources and a professional.
Raw plant parts
Raw, unripe or poorly prepared plant parts can be dangerous.
Toxins and regulation
Toxic constituents or regulated compounds (e.g. in distillates).
Contact with the plant
Skin or mucosa irritation from contact with fresh plant or sap.
Allergy
Allergic reactions, often linked to family sensitisation.
Harvesting and contamination
Contamination, species mix-ups or harvesting from unsuitable places.
  • Undiluted essential oilLow severityContact with the plant

    Undiluted patchouli essential oil may irritate sensitive skin; always dilute in a carrier (sweet almond, jojoba, etc.).