Water Hawthorn
A note evoking the small white flowers of a South African aquatic plant.
Floral
About Water Hawthorn
Water hawthorn is the common name of Aponogeton distachyos, an aquatic perennial native to the Cape region of South Africa and a member of the Aponogetonaceae family. Despite the name, it is not a hawthorn and does not belong to the genus Crataegus. Its elliptic or lance-shaped leaves float on the water, and depending on conditions the plant either sheds them or keeps some through the year.
Scent Profile
In perfumery, water hawthorn evokes the flowers of this aquatic plant. The name stands for an impression: small, fragrant white flowers held on forked stems just above the surface of the water. One of the plant's English names, hawthorn-scented pondweed, shows that the scent of its blossoms was compared to hawthorn, which gives the note its watery floral image.
Use in Perfumery
Water hawthorn tends to be listed among the top notes, where it helps set an aquatic floral scene in the opening. It brings to mind flowers opening on still water.
Did You Know?
The plant has several other names, including Cape asparagus, Cape pondweed and winter hawthorn.
