Can I grow my own frankincense?

Can I grow my own frankincense?

If you want to grow frankincense, you are better off purchasing a plant. The seeds are notoriously difficult to germinate. The germination rate of seeds purchased here in the US is 10\% or less. In their native countries where fresh seed can be obtained, germination depends on how the trees are exploited.

Can frankincense be grown in the US?

Turns out you can grow frankincense in the U.S.

Where does frankincense and myrrh grow?

Frankincense comes from the genus Boswellia, hardy trees that grow in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Southern Arabia. Scoring the bark will produce drops of resin that harden into harvestable tear-shaped pellets. Myrrh is a resin harvested from trees of the Commiphora genus, which grow in similar places.

What tree do you get myrrh?

myrrh, (from Arabic murr, “bitter”), bitter-tasting, agreeably aromatic, yellow to reddish brown oleoresinous gum obtained from various small, thorny, flowering trees of the genus Commiphora, of the incense-tree family (Burseraceae).

How do you get myrrh?

When a wound on a tree penetrates through the bark and into the sapwood, the tree secretes a resin. Myrrh gum, like frankincense, is such a resin. Myrrh is harvested by repeatedly wounding the trees to bleed the gum, which is waxy and coagulates quickly. After the harvest, the gum becomes hard and glossy.

How do I grow myrrh?

Choose a spot in your yard that is in full sun and has well-drained, sandy soil. Add 4 to 5 inches of coarse sand to your soil if it does not drain well enough to grow the Commiphora shrub. Dig a hole for the Commiphora shrub about 1 foot deep and 2 feet wide. Place the shrub in the hole, and fill the hole with soil.

How much does frankincense cost?

Frankincense and myrrh have been prized across the world for over 6,000 year. The Roman Catholic Church uses an estimated 50 metric tons of frankincense a year. Frankincense essential oil can be sold for as much as $6,000 per liter.

Where do you get myrrh?

Myrrh is a sap-like substance (resin) that comes out of cuts in the bark of trees that are members of the Commiphora species. Commiphora mukul, a related species, is not a source of myrrh. Myrrh is used to make medicine.

Can you buy myrrh?

You can buy myrrh-containing homeopathic rubbing oils and other essential oils meant to relieve pain when applied directly to sore body parts.