Pine Scotch Oil Bulgaria

Found throughout Europe and as far away as Siberia and Asia Minor, the Scots pine is the most widely cultivated of the Pinus species in European forests. A pioneer plant on bare or sparsely vegetated land, the Scots pine has often been used to reforest areas of poor soil to allow other species to grow. The tree can reach 40 metres in height and live for more than half a millennium. The trunk is tall and slender, topped by a rounded crown. The fissured, scaly bark is brick-red, contrasting with the grey-green to bluish-green foliage, hence the nickname ‘red pine’ in some languages.

The long needles form bifurcations with a sheathed base. The needle-covered branches are distilled to produce Scots pine essential oil. They are harvested before the snow falls, from spring to early winter. The raw material is processed into essential oil by steam distillation.