Every product we make is rooted in real, PNW native evergreens. No complex formulas. No "optimized" fragrances. Just actual trees, growing wild in the mountains of Southern Oregon.
As of Spring 2026, we work with five conifer species (think needle-leafed, or evergreen species). We sustainably harvest their branches & needles by hand, bring them back to our workshop in Ashland, and steam-distill them into pure essential oils & hydrosols. Those essential oils are the only scent added to our products, and we are incredibly proud of that.
People ask us all the time how & why each species smells so different. From the outside, five bottles of evergreen essential oil might sound like five versions of the same thing. They're not. Each species has its own chemistry, its own character, and its own way of surprising you. If you've ever wondered what sets our Douglas-fir apart from our Grand Fir, or why Ponderosa Pine smells nothing like the "pine" you're probably picturing, this is the place to start.
Douglas-fir
BRIGHT · LEMONY · RESINOUS
Douglas-fir is the backbone of Pacific Northwest forests. It's the most abundant conifer in Oregon and one of the most recognizable trees on the continent. If you grew up anywhere in the western US or Canada, you likely know this tree, even if you've never thought about it by name.
Our Douglas-fir essential oil is distilled from fresh needles and twigs. The scent hits bright and refreshing, with a lemon-lime lift up front that settles into a sweet, resinous profile. It's clean without being sharp. There's a reason this is our most popular species and the one I point people to first.
If you've ever snapped a Douglas-fir branch between your fingers and held it to your nose, that's what this oil smells like. Bright, green, and alive.
Best for: a fresh, energizing scent. Morning routines, room sprays, and freshening up a space.
Ponderosa Pine
WARM · VANILLA · SPICED HONEY
Ponderosa is the one that changes people's minds about pine.
It grows in the drier, sunnier parts of of the Pacific Northwest, usually at middle & low elevations where the forest opens up and the understory goes thin. Mature trees have thick, deeply furrowed bark that smells like butterscotch when the sun warms it. I'm not exaggerating. Walk up to a big Ponderosa on a hot afternoon, press your nose into one of those bark plates, and you'll get vanilla, warm honey, and something close to baking spices. It's one of the most distinctive scent experiences in the natural world.
Our Ponderosa Pine essential oil captures that warmth. It's distilled from fresh needles and carries notes of ambered resin, vanilla, honey, and a subtle anise seed finish. It's deep and grounding in a way that most pine oils simply are not.
Best for: a warm, comforting scent. Living rooms, evening wind-down, and anyone who thinks they don't like pine.
Incense Cedar
Incense Cedar is the most distinctive scent in our lineup, and the one that gets the strongest reaction. People either recognize it immediately or discover something they didn't know they were looking for.
This tree grows throughout Oregon's eastern Cascades & into the Klamath-Siskiyou region, often alongside Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine in mixed conifer stands. It's the tree that pencils are traditionally made from, and if that triggers a memory, you're already in the right neighborhood. But our essential oil goes well past pencil shavings. It's rich and mildly spicy, with crushed ginger, vanilla bean, and fresh sawdust up front, finishing warm with an almost chai-like quality.
I think of this as our sleeper favorite. People discover it and come back for it over and over, especially once fall hits.
Best for: a deep, warm, spicy scent. Fall and winter evenings, beard oils, and anyone who loves cedarwood but wants something with more going on.
Grand Fir
CITRUSY · GREEN · FRESH
Grand Fir is the tree most people picture when they think of a Christmas tree. It's the classic evergreen scent, but with more going on than you might expect.
Our Grand Fir essential oil is bright and citrusy, with a strong tangerine peel note that meets fresh-cut evergreen boughs. It's lively, uplifting, and immediately familiar. If you grew up with a real tree in your living room, this will take you back.
Grand Fir grows at moderate elevations in the Cascades and Siskiyou Mountains, usually in cooler, shaded drainages where the air stays damp. The needles are flat, soft to the touch, and intensely aromatic when you crush them between your fingers. It's one of the most generous trees we distill. A small amount of bough gives back a rich, complex oil.
Best for: a fresh, uplifting scent. Morning routines, freshening a room, and anyone chasing the real Christmas tree experience.
Noble Fir
BALSAMIC · COOL · RESINOUS
Noble Fir is the quietest of our five species. Where Douglas-fir is bright and Grand Fir is lively, Noble Fir sits back.
The scent is balsamic and resinous, with a sticky fir quality and something that reminds me of a frosty morning in the high country. It's subtle and clean. If you prefer scents that don't announce themselves, Noble Fir is your tree.
Noble Fir grows higher than our other species, typically above 4,000 feet in the Cascades and Siskiyous. It's a tree of ridgelines and snowpack. The blue-green needles are stiff and waxy, built for cold, exposed conditions. There's something about that high-elevation character that carries right through into the oil.
Best for: a subtle, clean, cool scent. Bedrooms, quieter spaces, and people who prefer understated over bold.
Why These Five?
Southern Oregon sits at the heart of the Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion, one of the most botanically significant areas in North America. More temperate conifer species grow here than anywhere else on the continent. The mountains around Ashland and the Rogue Valley are a crossroads where Pacific Northwest rainforest species meet Sierra Nevada mountain species meet Great Basin desert species. Researchers have documented as many as 17 conifer species growing within a single square mile. The forests here are ancient, layered, and remarkably diverse.
We chose these five because they capture the incredible range of what these forests have to offer. Warm & spicy, to bright & citrusy, to cool & resinous. Each species is genuinely distinct. We don't add fragrance or blend species together to hit a target. What you smell in the bottle is what the tree produces. Our job is to capture it cleanly and get out of the way.
If you want to learn more about how we harvest and distill, take a look at Our Process. If you want to understand why we do things the way we do, Our Story is a good place to start.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Our Forest Discovery Sets include all five species in gift & travel-friendly sizes so you can try them side by side and figure out which ones speak to you. It's the easiest way to experience the full range of what we distill.
