Commercial rose oil is solvent-extracted using hexane, which is then recovered by distillation and re-used. Nitrogen gas is bubbled through the rose oil to capture residual hexane. This yields "rose concrete" with a consistency similar to jelly. Rose concrete is dissolved in alcohol, cooled and filtered to capture waxes and refine the essential oil. Alcohol is removed by distillation and captured with nitrogen gas. For smaller-scale extraction, water-based, hand-hammered copper distillers are available from several manufacturers.
Origin
More than 100 species of wild roses grow worldwide, with 35 native to North America. Rosa damascena is a Middle Eastern cultivar now grown on commercial plantations in India, Iran (Persia) and Turkey for rose oil production. The name "damascena" suggests it was cultivated in Damascus, Syria, which is about 60 miles inland from the Mediterranean and east of Beirut, Lebanon. Rosewater was commonly distilled by the 16th century, and legend holds that the capable Mughal (Mongol) queen Noor Jahan observed rose oil among rosewater in her bath and founded the rose oil perfume industry.
Summer Damask Rose
Two varieties of Rosa damascena are grown commercially. The variety trigintipetala is the Kazalik rose, a natural hybrid of Rosa gallica and Rosa phoenicia that flowers for a month in late spring or early summer. Rosa gallica, or Apothecary Rose, is native to southern and central Europe. It was introduced to France as a medicine in the 1400s and became the red rose of the House of Lancaster during England's War of the Roses. Rosa phoenicia is a climbing rose seldom cultivated outside Turkey, where it is a native.
Autumn Damask Rose
Rosa damascena variety bifera, the "Musk Rose," is a natural hybrid of Rosa gallica and Rosa moschata. Moschata is native to the Himalayas and became an important parent for hybrids during the 19th century. Variety bifera has a second blooming season from September to November.
Commercial Cultivation
For maximum flower yield, plantation sites for rose oil production are situated where high daytime temperatures at the time of flowering can be expected to range from 77 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit, with humidity above 60 percent. Damask roses thrive in full sun and prefer high soil pH ranging from 6 to 8 in soils ranging from silty clay loam to sandy loam. If grown on sloping ground, they should receive full sun for at least the entire morning. Propagation is from cuttings of year-old stems. Average yields are 3.5 to 4.5 metric tons of flowers per hectare per year, or 1.5 to 2 tons per acre.
Desktop Water Distiller
Until the 20th century, all rose oil was steam-distilled in wood-fired stills in the same fields where the roses were grown. Small-scale water distillation of roses is accomplished with the same type of distiller used to make brandy from wine. Flowers and water go into a central pot, where they are gently heated to a brief boil. Heat volatilizes the essential oil, which moves with steam into the condenser to be cooled to a liquid.
References
- "Int Jrnl of Agriculture and Biology"; Extraction and Analysis of Essential Oil of Rosa species M. Aslam Khan et al; July 2005
- "Cultivation and Utilization of Aromatic Plants"; H. Panda; 2006
- Kew: Gallica Roses
- Kew: History of Garden Roses
- Hand Hammered Copper Distillers Beautiful and Functional Apparatus made by Artisans in Portugal
Member Comments