Xanthorrhoea Resin
Xanthorrhoea Resin
Hand foraged from the wild Australian bushlands.
The wisdom of the ancient Xanthorrhoea grass tree teaches us the beauty of being slow, steady and consciously selective with how we use our time and energy.
It inspires us to gracefully make the sacrifices necessary for becoming accomplished in our chosen endeavours, put faith in our capacity for abundant living and connect with the joy of possibility.
Xanthorrhoea is a hardy resin and burns very fragrantly upon a hot charcoal.
50gm
Xanthorrhoea
Xanthorrhoea comes from the Greek xanthos, which means ‘to flow’ and refers to the resin that seeps from the stem. Xanthorrhoea, more commonly known as the grass tree, is one of the most unique and iconic plants in Australia and is especially important to Aboriginal people. Grasstrees grow in all Australian states and territories, especially on the east and west coast and grow at the rate of 2½ cm (1 inch) per year and can live up to 600 years. They are hardy, thrive in nutrient-poor soils, frost tolerant and survive bush fire and drought.
Grass trees don’t shed their old leaves. The bases of their leaves are packed tightly around their stem, and are held together by a strong, water-proof resin. As the old leaves accumulate, they form a thick bushy “skirt” around the trunk making a safe habitat for native mammals and shielding the stem from heat to survive the passage of fire. It can take over 20 years before a grass tree produces its first flowers.
Xanthorrhoea was a highly valued resource with many uses to the Aboriginal peoples. The flowering spike was used a spear shaft or soaked in water to give a sweet tasting fermented drink. In the bush, the flowers could reveal directions, since flowers of the spike would face on the warmer, sunnier northern side. The resin was an invaluable adhesive for tool and spear making, patching leaky water containers, canoes and didgeridoos.