Ylang Ylang Ylang Ylang (Madagascar)

Why Madagascar?

Off the northwest coast of Madagascar, where the Indian Ocean laps gently at the shores of Nosy Be, the air is thick with the scent of golden blooms—ylang ylang flowers ready to be picked. Here, in the island’s hot, rain-fed soil, ylang ylang trees stretch their arms toward the sky—pruned low and wide like open hands, waiting for the bloom.

Why Kenya?

Along Kenya’s lush coastal strip near the Tanzanian border, where the warm Indian Ocean breeze carries the scent of salt and sun, ylang ylang trees thrive in the region’s humid, tropical climate and well-drained sandy soils. Here, the days are long and sun-drenched, and the nights bring just enough moisture to coax the golden blossoms into bloom.

In this fertile landscape, doTERRA’s sourcing partner collaborates with smallholder farmers who tend their trees with care. The introduction of ylang ylang has brought more than fragrance to the region—it has brought hope and opportunity, offering families a sustainable livelihood through the cultivation of this high-value crop. In this region of Kenya, over 60% of the population is living on less than USD 2.15 a day, but with each harvest of ylang ylang, additional income for growers and harvesters means additional purchasing power in the community.

How does it work?

Ylang Ylang trees are fast-growing. They can grow to 40 feet (12 m) high, but for ease of harvesting and increased productivity, the trees are regularly pruned and kept around 9 to 10 feet (3 m) tall. Ylang ylang in Madagascar is rainfed, so there is no need for irrigation or sprinklers, which means there’s zero water waste in the growing process.

Ylang Ylang trees must grow for 3 to 4 years before harvest but will then produce flowers for potentially 30 years or more. When a tree is well taken care of, it can produce up to 22 pounds (10 kg) of fresh flowers per year.

Each year, just after the rains, a quiet rhythm begins. At first light, women move through the groves with practiced movements, plucking only the ripest blossoms—those turned a deep, sunlit yellow. Picked by hand in the early morning, the flowers release their sweet perfume into the warm air, marking the start of a day of harvest and distillation for doTERRA’s sourcing partners. Though the trees flower year-round, the main harvest takes place from April to June, when the blossoms are most abundant and their fragrance is richest.

In the sun-drenched fields of Lunga Lunga, Kenya, each flower is carefully plucked by local farmers—many of whom are part of the Landless Farmers Initiative, a transformative project under doTERRA’s Co-Impact Sourcing program. These farmers cultivate their one-acre plots using natural and regenerative methods, nurturing over 23,000 ylang ylang trees planted since 2018. Thanks to a community-funded solar-powered irrigation system and a newly built dam, water now flows more freely to the fields, supporting consistent weekly harvests.

In Kenya, for every kilogram of essential oil produced by its farmer cooperatives, a portion of revenue is set aside in a fund overseen by the cooperatives themselves to finance livelihood development projects. Farmers are not only participating in the process of bringing this exquisite essential oil to market—they’re taking one step closer to economic independence and a more sustainable future.

The essential oil comes from steam-distilling the small flowers of the tree. The flowers need to be distilled within 24 hours of collection; otherwise, they lose their aroma and the essential oil yield from distillation is reduced. Distillation takes place for 18 to 24 hours, with a yield of up to 2.5%, so approximately 2.2 lbs of ylang ylang blossoms produces 15 mL of the essential oil. Because of the large volume of flowers required to produce the oil, the whole process requires a huge collective effort—men and women working together to bring woven baskets of ylang ylang by the truckload to the stills for swift distillation.

Co-Impact Sourcing Story Partner-Centered Payment Practices

By partnering with us, Ylang Ylang harvesters and distillers in Madagascar are compensated consistently and equitably, honoring the care and craftsmanship they bring to every harvest. Because our sourcing partner contracts with them, growers are assured of a consistent price and therefore not susceptible to loss of income due to price speculation and bidding. In addition to consistent payments, growers who produce high quality oil can also earn annual bonuses for the quality of their work. This provides them with added resources to help expand their production capacity.

Employees and farmers, along with their families, have access to free medical services while producers—farmers with their own micro-distillery—contribute something small to keep supporting the health care services.

The Nosy Be Health Clinic—A doTERRA Healing Hands Story

In Nosy Be—the lush island off Madagascar’s northwest coast where we source Ylang Ylang essential oil—access to reliable healthcare remains a significant challenge. To help address this, the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation (dHHF) has supported our sourcing partner in the creation of a mobile health clinic that travels between villages, bringing essential medical services directly to the communities that make ylang ylang harvesting possible.

This initiative focuses on 10 village communities where the majority of the ylang ylang harvesting cooperative—comprising between 750 and 900 individuals—reside. In each village, one person is selected and trained as a health officer. These officers are equipped with first aid kits and essential oils, and receive instruction in their safe and effective use. Additionally, a doctor is employed to work for this clinic and visit each village twice a week to see patients in their homes.

Since 2016, dHHF has donated over $470,000 for health initiatives in our Nosy Be ylang ylang harvesting community. The foundation has expanded its support by funding an upgrade to the original clinic to a hospital that now serves over 2,800 individuals, including both farmers and non-farming community members. The hospital handles more than 2,000 cases annually, addressing a wide range of health concerns—from flu-like symptoms and malaria to dental issues and gastrointestinal conditions.

To further strengthen long-term care, a permanent medical dispensary near the ylang ylang distillation compound has been constructed. This facility includes a maternity clinic and a regular medical staff to manage more serious health issues. Even after the establishment of a dispensary, the mobile clinic remains vital to outreach, supporting accessible healthcare for those in remote areas with limited transportation options. Locals and tourists alike have used the Nosy Be clinic to receive life-saving care prior to transport to a larger hospital, making it a truly significant community pillar.

Ylang Ylang Essential Oil | doTERRA Behind the Bottle: Episode 6