Why jasmine flowers are harvested at night

It is three in the morning. A cool night air hangs over the fields of Calabria, where workers harvest jasmine flowers in silence. Without the heat of the sun, the air carries a rich, sweet scent. Anyone walking by these fields during the day would only notice a faint aroma. The plant reveals its true strength only in the deep darkness.

Moving carefully with headlamps, workers pick the delicate buds by hand. This night labor is essential to capture the pure quality of the fragrance. The cool hours of the early morning protect the precious essence before it can escape.

Why we harvest jasmine flowers at night

During the day, the intense Mediterranean sun beats down on the fields. This heat causes the volatile scent compounds to evaporate immediately. While this process protects the plant from drying out, it deprives perfumers of the rich aroma.

When night falls, the air cools and this evaporation stops. The valuable oil concentrates inside the petals. As soon as the morning sun warms the buds, this maximum scent concentration disappears into the atmosphere.

Pure handwork under the glow of headlamps

This harvest requires extreme precision and speed. Workers must pluck each flower individually with their fingers. A clumsy touch bruises the delicate petals, which can introduce a bitter note into the final oil.

Only fully open, pristine blossoms make it into the baskets. Gathering a single kilogram of jasmine takes thousands of careful movements in the dark. As soon as the sun rises, the work stops because the flowers lose their elasticity and damage more easily.

The race against the heat of the day

Once the blossoms are picked, every minute counts. The harvest must reach the distillery immediately. If the flowers sit in baskets for too long, they generate heat, which quickly ruins the delicate scent.

The extraction process usually begins before dawn. The fresh flowers are first turned into a waxy substance called concrete. Further purification steps then yield the pure absolute used in our creations. This method preserves the subtle notes of honey, green leaves, and warm earth.

Harvesting jasmine at night is a traditional craft rather than a romantic myth. The cold temperatures protect the volatile aromas that make jasmine one of the most valuable ingredients in perfumery. This demanding work in the dark gives our fragrances their deep, rich character.

Explore this unique note in the seventhscent collection to see how jasmine develops on your skin. Our scent finder can help you choose your personal fragrance.