| Scientific name | Nardostachys jatamansi |
| Purity | 100% natural essential oil |
| Organic quality | Wildcrafted without organic certification |
| Harvest | Wildcrafted; hand-harvested from October to November |
| Processing | Gentle steam distillation of sun-dried roots |
| Terroir | Jumla, Nepal |
| Elevation | 3,200m |
| Origin | Sourced directly from a farm specialising in wildcrafting indigenous plants, distilled on site |
| Aroma | Intensely aromatic, woody, earthy, slightly fruity, sweet |
| Effect | Relaxing, grounding, uplifting, strengthening, harmonising |
These spikenards grow wild in Nepal's Jumla district, at altitudes of up to 3200 metres in the Himalaya Mountains. To adapt to the changeable climatic conditions of the high mountains, the jatamansi plants produce complex natural compounds, such as valeranone and spirojatamol, for their protection. Between October and November, the entire plant is gently harvested; the roots are then cleaned and gently sun-dried. After drying, the roots are taken to an onsite distillery where they are gently steam distilled by a team of experts into this aromatic essential oil.
Informed by their roots in traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda, this family-run company was founded around 2010 in Nepal. The cooperating farms and farmers are regularly trained in controlled organic cultivation and new farms are recruited. The range of essential oils consists either of plants that are cultivated organically or from wild collections in the mountains of Nepal. The joy and passion of growing and harvesting indigenous aromatic plants and processing them in their own distilleries across the country can be perceived in the fine aromas of these oils. Most products are certified with the EU organic seal.
Indian spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi) belongs to the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae) and to the genus Valerian. Growing in the high mountains of the Himalayas at altitudes of up to 5,500 metres, it can be found in regions from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nepal to eastern India and Vietnam. The spikenard is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows up to 50cm tall. Its leaves are stalked and it produces purple to bluish umbellate flower heads. In traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda, the spikenard is used as a sedative and to strengthen the mind. The spikenard made its way to the Mediterranean region in ancient times and has been used in monastic medicine since the early Middle Ages.
The aromas of spikenard have strongly relaxing and grounding properties, as well as strengthening and uplifting effects. Spikenard promotes a sense of harmony between body and mind.
