Sequoia in perfume is a woody note inspired by the giant redwood trees of California, evoking dry, reddish bark, cool forest air and resin. It is an accord created by the perfumer rather than an extract of the tree, and usually combines dry cedar-like wood with soft balsamic and slightly smoky facets.

What does Sequoia smell like?

A sequoia note typically smells of sun-warmed red bark and dusty forest floor: dry and woody like cedar, but rounder and faintly sweet, with a hint of resin and a whisper of smoke. Some interpretations lean fresher and greener, closer to conifer needles; others are darker, with leathery and ambery depth. It is less sharp than pine and less creamy than sandalwood.

How perfumers create Sequoia

Redwoods are not a standard source of perfumery oil, so perfumers build the note. Cedarwood and cedar derivatives provide the dry, pencil-like structure; vetiver and guaiac wood add earthy, smoky shading; fir or cypress oils bring a resinous conifer tone; and ambery woods such as Iso E Super give volume and a velvety texture.

• Fragrance family: Woody
• Type: Accord (created by the perfumer)
• Key aroma molecules: Typically cedarwood fractions, Iso E Super, vetiver and guaiac components

Sequoia in perfume history

The inspiration is among the most remarkable trees on Earth. Coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) grow in a narrow strip about 750 km long along the Pacific coast from central California to south-western Oregon, include the tallest living tree, Hyperion, at about 116 metres, and can live for more than 2,000 years. The species is rated Endangered by the IUCN. In perfumery, the note's best-known outing is Comme des Garçons Series 2 Red: Sequoia (2001), composed by Bertrand Duchaufour, which set sequoia beside mahogany, rum, oud, opoponax and leather in a dark, spicy woody composition.

Sequoia in modern perfumery

Sequoia remains a niche note, used mainly in forest-inspired and outdoorsy woody fragrances, as well as candles and home scents. It suits the current interest in "place" fragrances that evoke specific landscapes, where it signals North American old-growth forest.

How Sequoia wears and what it pairs with

As a base note it gives lasting structure and a dry, warm finish. It pairs well with fir, cypress, vetiver, leather, rum, incense, amber and pink pepper.