Into the Heart of Palo Santo in Peru
From the dry forest to the stick: we went to the source of our Palo Santo.
Where does the Palo Santo we use in our rituals really come from? How is this wood harvested? Why are some pieces richer in fragrance than others? And above all: what happens between the tree growing in Peru and the little stick we know in France?
At Veegreen, we no longer wanted to know the answers only on paper. We wanted to see them for ourselves. So we went to Peru, to the source of our Palo Santo. Heading to the north of the country, to the Piura region. After several hours by car, far from the city, the landscapes gradually change. The roads cross increasingly arid territories, vegetation becomes scarcer, and the vast urban areas give way to an almost mineral environment. This is where our journey begins. Welcome to the dry forest of northern Peru, on the trail of Bursera graveolens: the Palo Santo.
On the Trail of Palo Santo in Peru
We filmed this journey to take you with us. The road from Piura, the dry forest, the Palo Santo trees in their natural environment, the search for wood, the encounters with the community, the selection of trunks, the cutting of the sticks and the various stages that precede their departure for France.
What you are about to see is the true journey of our Palo Santo.
▶ WATCH OUR REPORT FROM PERUSeveral Hours from Piura, Where Palo Santo Grows Naturally
To understand Palo Santo, you first need to understand its environment. After leaving Piura, we drove for several hours toward a much more isolated region of northern Peru. Here, there is no lush tropical forest. We enter what is called the dry forest: an ecosystem marked by long periods without rain, high temperatures, dry, rocky soils and vegetation perfectly adapted to these conditions. It is in this environment that Bursera graveolens grows naturally, the tree from which the wood we call Palo Santo comes.
When we discover the first trees, one thing immediately surprises us. Palo Santo does not need to be burned to reveal its identity. As you approach the wood, its fragrance is already present. Even intact, it has this characteristic aromatic signature that becomes much more intense when it is used for smudging. But we quickly understand that not all Palo Santo is equal. And that the quality of the final little stick begins here, several years before it is cut.
Before being a product, Palo Santo is a tree, a territory and an ecosystem.
A Community That Has Known Palo Santo for Generations
Our goal was not just to see trees. We wanted to meet those who know this forest and work this material every day. On site, we were welcomed by a community that has for many years specialized in the collection, selection, preservation and transformation of Palo Santo. And the welcome exceeded our expectations. We arrived with our cameras and a great many questions. They welcomed us with open arms and agreed to show us their daily life, their territory and their know-how.
For several days, they explained to us what we never see when we simply hold a stick of Palo Santo in our hands.
How do you recognize the wood? Which pieces can be recovered? How does the environment influence the material? How are the trunks transformed? And above all, why does time play such an important role?
To truly understand, we had to leave theoretical explanations behind. So we put on our sneakers and set off with them into the dry forest.
We Went Looking for Palo Santo in Its Natural Environment.
Once in the forest, our view of Palo Santo changes completely. We walk between the trees in search of the wood that can be recovered. And this is where we discover one of the essential elements of the process: the wood sought is mainly from branches that have fallen naturally or from parts of dead trees. The climatic conditions of the region can be harsh. Wind and bad weather naturally cause some branches to fall. We also find dead trees whose wood remains in contact with the ground for a long period.
It is precisely this time spent in the natural environment that particularly interested us. On site, we were told that the natural aging of the wood plays an important role in the qualities sought in Palo Santo. Time does its work. The wood evolves. Its aromatic characteristics develop and the material gradually changes. What we understood is ultimately very simple: you cannot artificially speed up a story that is written over several years. The little stick we burn for a few minutes is therefore the result of a natural process that is infinitely longer. Time is part of the product.
A Dry Forest Does Not Mean a Forest Without Water
This is probably one of the most interesting lessons of our journey. When we talk about "dry forest," one might imagine that the less water a Palo Santo receives, the better its quality would be. The reality explained to us on site is more nuanced. Palo Santo grows in a dry environment, but it remains a tree. And like any tree, its development also depends on the resources available in its environment. We therefore spent a long time discussing with the community the location of the trees, the terrain and access to water.
For Veegreen, this lesson has become an important element of our selection. We favor Palo Santo from mountainous areas where conditions allow, according to the local know-how passed on to us, to obtain wood that is particularly interesting from an aromatic point of view. The explanation given on site relates in particular to the presence and richness of the wood's aromatic compounds, themselves influenced by the development of the tree and its environment. In practice, what interests us is very concrete: rich wood, an intense and characteristic scent, and a Palo Santo that fully expresses its fragrance when burned. This journey therefore taught us something essential: the "Peru" origin alone is not enough to define quality. The region, the terrain, the natural conditions, the aging of the wood and its selection also matter. Two pieces of Palo Santo can come from the same country without offering the same aromatic quality.
In Peru, Palo Santo Is Not Just a Wellbeing Object
In France, we mainly know Palo Santo for its fragrance and for the rituals with which it is associated. In Peru, we discovered a use that is far more deeply rooted in certain local traditions and habits. The community told us in particular about its use in various traditional and ceremonial practices. But we also discovered a much more everyday use that surprised us.
Mosquitoes.
In this region of Peru, the rainy season falls notably in the first months of the year and can bring a strong presence of mosquitoes. The smoke of Palo Santo is traditionally used locally to help keep them away from homes and living spaces. We knew Palo Santo for its fragrance. They have lived with this tree for a long time and attribute uses to it that are part of their daily life and traditions. This encounter allowed us to place the product in a much broader context. Before arriving in our European homes, Palo Santo first belongs to a territory and a culture.
How Does a Trunk Become a Small Palo Santo Stick?
After the forest, we wanted to follow the wood's journey further. On to the workshop. This is where the recovered and selected pieces gradually take the form we know. What struck us was the place of manual work.
The trunks and pieces of wood are observed, sorted and then cut. The people who work the material know its irregularities perfectly. They observe the wood, its color, its structure and its fragrance before deciding how it will be used. Then comes the cutting. The pieces are gradually transformed into small sticks. One by one. The work is done by hand, with constant attention paid to the material.
Once cut, the sticks are checked and selected again. They are then dried naturally outdoors, taking advantage of the particularly hot and dry climate of the region. Then comes packaging and bagging before export. From the forest to the bag bound for France, we were able to follow almost every step.
The Journey of Palo Santo
Behind an extremely simple-looking stick lies a succession of human gestures.
Our goal: making the most of Palo Santo, down to its offcuts
Visiting the workshop also raised an essential question. What becomes of wood that doesn't have the right shape or the right dimensions to become a stick? A tree trunk is never perfectly straight. During cutting, there are smaller pieces, offcuts and parts that don't meet the standards we require for our sticks. But this doesn't mean that this material has no value. Quite the contrary.
Palo Santo is a resource we consider precious. Our approach is therefore to make the most of every available piece of material and limit waste. Pieces that cannot become sticks can be redirected to other uses depending on their characteristics: incense products, cones, aromatic derivatives or other ways of valorizing the material. This principle is especially important to us. It would be inconsistent to speak of respecting Palo Santo while accepting that part of the wood simply becomes waste because it doesn't have the perfect shape. Our goal is therefore clear:
Make the most of every usable piece of Palo Santo.
This is also what allows us to gradually develop a complete range around this material, without reducing Palo Santo to the traditional stick alone.
Understanding the material, but also knowing where it comes from
Seeing the forest and meeting the people who work with the wood is essential. But it is not enough. For Veegreen, knowing our product also means being able to document our supply chain. In Peru, the SERFOR: Servicio Nacional Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre, is the national authority responsible for forest and wildlife resources.
Our work therefore consists of linking what we saw in the field with a documented supply chain and the applicable authorizations. In this way, we seek to bring together several dimensions:
For us, traceability is therefore not a line added to a packaging.
It is part of the product.
We thought we knew Palo Santo. Mostly, we knew the stick.
Before leaving, we obviously knew our product: its scent, how it burns, its appearance, its quality criteria. But Peru allowed us to understand everything that came before. The dry forest, the mountains, the trees, the time the wood needs, the branches on the ground, the selection. The people, the manual cutting, the drying, the sorting, the valorization of offcuts, the preparation and, finally, the export.
We followed the chain in reverse. From the product we knew in France all the way to the tree in Peru. And that is precisely what we had come to find.
A story we had truly seen with our own eyes.
We no longer know our Palo Santo only by its scent. We now know its territory, its journey and the people behind it.
A whole collection born around a single material
The traditional stick is probably the most direct way to discover Palo Santo.
But our journey also strengthened our belief that this material could be valorized in different forms.
Traditional Palo Santo
The wood in its most iconic form.
A simple stick that lets you discover the characteristic scent of Palo Santo right away.
DISCOVER PALO SANTO →
100% Palo Santo Gift Sets
A more complete experience built around this material and its olfactory universe.
DISCOVER THE GIFT SETS →
White Sage & Palo Santo
Two iconic materials brought together in a single ritual.
DISCOVER WHITE SAGE & PALO SANTO →
Palo Santo Essential Oil
Another way to discover the full aromatic richness of Palo Santo, through an essential oil made from the valorization of this precious wood.
DISCOVER THE PALO SANTO ESSENTIAL OIL →
Palo Santo Incense
Another way to bring the aromatic world of Palo Santo into your everyday life.
DISCOVER THE INCENSE →
Palo Santo Cones
A simple format for diffusing its scent and creating a warm atmosphere.
DISCOVER THE CONES →To truly know a product, you sometimes have to trace it back to its source.
We could have stayed in France and talked to you about Palo Santo based on documents, certificates and samples. Instead, we took a plane, then a car, then laced up our hiking boots and walked into the dry forest. We wanted to see the trees, touch the wood, understand why certain pieces are selected, see how they are cut, meet the people who do this work, understand what happens to the offcuts, and compare what we had been told with the reality on the ground.
And when we look today at a small Veegreen Palo Santo stick, we no longer see simply a piece of fragrant wood.
We see a dry forest in northern Peru, a tree called Bursera graveolens, several years of natural processes, hands that select and work the material, and a community that opened its doors to us.
This is the story we wanted to tell you, and above all, this is the story we wanted to show you.
From Peru to your ritual. 🇵🇪
Everything you need to know about Palo Santo
What is Palo Santo?
The name Palo Santo is notably used to refer to the wood of Bursera graveolens, a species found in certain regions of South America, including Peru. Its wood is known for its characteristic aromatic scent, which is especially noticeable when it is burned.
Where does Veegreen Palo Santo grow?
Our journey took us to northern Peru, several hours by road from Piura, in a dry forest ecosystem. In our selection process, we favor an origin that matches the characteristics we are looking for, particularly in terms of aromatic quality.
Why does the wood stay on the ground?
In the field, we found branches that had fallen naturally as well as wood from dead trees. Time and the natural aging of the wood are among the factors taken into account locally during selection, and they influence the qualities sought in Palo Santo.
Why does the environment matter for quality?
A Palo Santo cannot be summed up by its country of origin. Its environment, the growing conditions of the tree, water availability, the terrain, the natural aging of the wood and its selection can all influence its characteristics. This is precisely why we wanted to go there and better understand these parameters.
How are Palo Santo sticks made?
After collection and selection, the wood is worked locally. The pieces are sorted, then cut and shaped to produce the sticks. During our visit, we observed largely manual work, followed by drying, sorting and packaging steps.
What happens to Palo Santo offcuts?
Our goal is to make the most of all usable material. Pieces that do not match the stick format may, depending on their characteristics, be redirected to other uses and transformations, notably in the world of incense, cones or other aromatic derivatives.
Is Palo Santo used in Peru?
Yes. On site, we discovered various traditional and local uses of Palo Santo. The community explained to us in particular its use in certain ceremonial practices, as well as the traditional use of its smoke during periods when mosquitoes are especially present.
What is SERFOR?
SERFOR — Servicio Nacional Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre — is the Peruvian national authority responsible for forest and wildlife resources. Documentation and applicable authorizations are an important part of the traceability of the supply chain.
