Woody > Boswellia > Boswellia sacra > Boswellia sacra
Boswellia sacra
Frankincense Tree
Origin: The Boswellia sacra is a very resourceful and unique deciduous tree that has lots of medicinal and religious value. It is a tree from the Burseraceae family. It is the most well-known tree in the genus Boswellia in which frankincense, a resinous dried sap is harvested from. Since the times of Christ when he was given frankincense as a gift, people have been finding and harvesting these plants for the oleo-gum-resin frankincense for its religious and medicinal values. The oil can be processed into an incense and used in worships for spiritual purposes or for just purifying the air. Additionally, the oil possesses digestive, antiseptic, vulnerary, therapeutic properties and many more. The plant has a consistent dark green foliage most of the year until it’s time to defoliate. The flowers on the plant are attractive white pedals and layer the stems up and down the plant. Prefers full sun and at least 80°F, with well drained soils and often grows on rocky slopes. The Boswellia sacra is native to the middle east and Africa found in deserts and the trees can be hundreds of years old and extremely hard to propagate because of its very low germination rate and specific conditions it requires. The tree doesn’t really have a lot of landscape value but has always been used for the frankincense oil that you harvest from it.
Mike's
Opinion
"
The Boswellia sacra is a very resourceful and unique deciduous tree that has lots of medicinal and religious value. It is a tree from the Burseraceae family. It is the most well-known tree in the genus Boswellia in which frankincense, a resinous dried sap is harvested from. Since the times of Christ when he was given frankincense as a gift, people have been finding and harvesting these plants for the oleo-gum-resin frankincense for its religious and medicinal values. The oil can be processed into an incense and used in worships for spiritual purposes or for just purifying the air. Additionally, the oil possesses digestive, antiseptic, vulnerary, therapeutic properties and many more. The plant has a consistent dark green foliage most of the year until it’s time to defoliate. The flowers on the plant are attractive white pedals and layer the stems up and down the plant. Prefers full sun and at least 80°F, with well drained soils and often grows on rocky slopes. The Boswellia sacra is native to the middle east and Africa found in deserts and the trees can be hundreds of years old and extremally hard to propagate because of its very low germination rate and specific conditions it requires. The tree doesn’t really have a lot of landscape value but has always been used for the frankincense oil that you harvest from it.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Burseraceae |
| Genus |
| Boswellia |
| Species |
| sacra |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (deciduous) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 10 - 11 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 4 - 9 |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H2 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| 2 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 35 |
| Height |
| 7 - 8 |
| Spread |
| 8 - 10 |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| Is a deciduous, medium size tree with exfoliating bark and curly branches where all the leaves are bundled at the tips. It provides oleo-gum-resin frankincense through the branches which is used in a lot of spiritual and medicinal ways. |
| Landscape |
| The Boswellia sacra is a source of the gum-resin which is frankincense. The most useful part of the tree. Frankincense has been used for a very long time for medicinal, religion and communal use. Frankincense is used as a cleaner and can kill several types of bacteria and fungi but as well it is used for aging skin, healing wounds and lots of other conditions. |
| Cultivation |
| Prefers to be grown in full sun with a temperature of 80°F or hotter. Grows the best in lightly moist, well-drained soil with an alkaline soil of around 7.9-8.5 pH. It doesn’t tolerate frost at all. Also has an extremely low germination rate, the best way for propagation is proper cuttings and even then, still extremely hard to cultivate. |
| Shape |
| Multi-stemmed, vertical and non-symmetrical. |
| Growth |
| Slow |
| ID Characteristic |
| Has green compound leaves in obviate shape. The nectareous disc which is originally yellow turns red while ripening. Lastly the fruit grow around 1 cm long with a handful of seeds each pod. |
| Pests |
| The plant deals with a few pests mostly beetles like the Elanteridae, Risassunto and cerambycldae. It doesn’t get affected by mildew because of the open landscape and air circulation. |
| Habitat |
| The Boswellia sacra tolerates the more demanding situations often grows on rocky slopes in mostly calcareous soils. Can grown in elevations of up to 1200 m. But usually found in desertic or semi desertic areas. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Curly branches, with defoliating bark that has a pale brown outer layer over top of a denser red to brown layer. This inner layer holds the oleo-gum-resin. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Has bare, greenish coloured buds in ovate shape about 0.5-1 cm long. |
| Leaf Description |
| Compound ovate leaved and an odd number of leaflets which grow along each other down the branches. Dark green in colour most of the year until it’s time for them to defoliate in Autumn. 10-15 cm long and 5-8 cm in width. |
| Flower Description |
| Small white flowers with five petals and ten red stamens. The yellow disc in the center of flower turns red while it matures by March going into April. |
| Fruit Description |
| Fruits are capsules about 1 cm long. Green coloured and in clusters completely covering the branch |
| Colour Description |
| Leaves stay the same colour of dark green most of the year. The bark is mostly brown with a reddish tint on some spots and flowers are white with an orange center. |
| Texture Description |
| Medium. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Notable specimens can be found at the Aburi Botanic Garden in South Ghana. |
| Propagation |
| Propagation of the Boswellia tree is best done from root or stem cutting. Growing from seed is not very successful with only about a 10% germination rate. There are various species of Boswellia trees. Each one grows under different conditions. Some like humid environments, some grow best in dry climates. Therefore, soil medium will be different depending on the species. For our climate it is best to grow indoors. The Boswellia tree cannot withstand frost. To start a root cutting find a sprout coming from the root to the surface of the original plant. Use sterile cutters and remove the root sprout. Or if you prefer a stem cutting, measure about 6 to 8 inches from the tip of the stem and cut. Make sure to make a diagonal cut. Place the root or stem cutting in a pot filled with pure pumice. Other options can be sand and a starter mix. Some people have used marble chips. When you plant the root cutting, plant it so that it is planted to the same height as it was in the original plant. For a stem cutting make sure about 1/3 of the stem is planted into the soil. Place your pot in filtered light and keep the cutting moist. When it has become established and it has started to grow, move your tree into full sun. These plants grow best in 30 degree Celsius. The Boswellia tree is native to Oman and Somalia. It is extremely difficult to replicate that’s growing conditions here in North America. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| Has been used for its resources for thousands of years and is still being searched for in today’s time for its resin. The tree produces the resin after 8-10 years of maturity and is extracted by making a shallow incision on the trunk of the tree and removing the bark and outer layer. The resin is drained as a thick substance and eventually dries out and forms yellowish fragments called frankincense. The frankincense is used for incense and perfumes. But also prevents heart disease, reduces stress and anxiety, promotes smooth skin. The tree doesn’t really have any landscape use, it’s only used for the resin. |
References
Morse, R. How To Grow Boswellia (September 2017). (Book reference)
doTERRA fall/winter 2020 Living Magazine pg. 4-7
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