Surprising Sandalwood

Folklore/Common Names:Sanderswood, Sandal, White Saunders, Santal

Parts Used: Wood, essential oil

Historical Reference:

For over 4,000 years, Sandalwood has been considered sacred for religious purposes as well as highly valued for medicinal use. Sandalwood is mentioned in the oldest Sanskrit and Chinese Manuscripts as being used in honoring deities, and temples were carved from the wood. The ancient Egyptians imported the wood and used it for embalming, ritual use and as a medicine as well.

The Sandalwood trade can be traced back to the very beginning of trade in India. The Sultan of Mysore declared it a "royal tree" as early as 1792, and it remains so today. In fact, Sandalwood trees are considered the property of the Government to this day in India, and no individual may ‘own’ a Sandalwood tree. If a Sandalwood tree is growing on private land, it is still considered the property of the Government, although the individual may receive partial compensation for its harvest as an incentive for growing and protecting the tree.

The process by which Sandalwood becomes the lovely carved boxes, objects, or essential oil is lengthy and intricate. First, the trees are felled or dug up by the roots. The branches are removed, and the tree is then left on the ground for several months for a species of white ants to eat away the sap wood, as it is the heartwood that is prized. Once this has been accomplished, the heartwood is then trimmed and sawed, and taken in for processing, to be used for carving or taken to distilleries for the essential oil. Once distilled, the oil must age for approximately 6 months before it takes on its rich and woody aroma.

The increasing demand for Sandalwood, combined with the lengthy maturation time before harvest is possible, has led not only to increased prices, but the declaration of Sandalwood as an endangered species. In an attempt to stop its potential extinction, the Indian government is trying to limit the exportation of Sandalwood, but with demand increasing most reports say such limitations are inconsistent at best.

Medicinal Use:

Note: When shopping for Sandalwood essential oils, make certain they are not Australian or West Indian oils, which have little to no therapeutic value. In fact, West Indian Sandalwood, or amyris balsamifera bears no botanical relation to true or East Indian sandalwood. The best quality oils come from the Indian province of Mysore.

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