Community Partner
Gangriphuensum Ngomen Tsogpha
Every value-chain we develop is rooted in close collaboration with Bhutan’s rural communities — the indigenous stewards of their ancestral landscapes
JATAMANSI HIMALAYAN CALM
Organic Jatamansi Essential Oil
Nardostachys jatamansi
Jatamansi is a perennial, herbaceous medicinal and aromatic plant endemic to the Himalayas and grows wild at altitudes between 3500m and 5000m above sea level. The plant has been treasured for centuries in Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine for its calming, neuroprotective benefits—supporting sleep, easing anxiety, and strengthening the heart. In Bhutan, it is also burned as a sacred incense to honor Nagas, guardians of nature. Beyond the Himalayas, Jatamansi was once traded as a rare fragrance and even appears in the Bible as an anointing oil. Today, its essential oil is valued in aromatherapy for grounding and stress relief, and is used in hospice care to bring comfort and peace. ​ In many places of its original occurrence, Jatamansi has been overharvested and is therefore listed in Appendix II. of the CITES Convention as critically endangered. Bhutan has treated its resources with great care and a National Resource Assessment conducted in 2022 showed thriving populations in the areas of occurrence.
Jatamansi Domestication Research
Working with a critically endangered plant like Jatamansi is a great responsibility for Terra Himalaya. In partnership with the responsible Bhutanese authorities, we’re building rigorous, field-based knowledge on the species’ life cycle and regeneration to ensure truly sustainable wild harvests. In parallel, we’re establishing two high-altitude research farms for a five-year domestication program, supported by the BoilingPoint Foundation (Denmark). If successful, certified organic cultivation will create jobs and income for highland communities, while strengthening long-term conservation in Bhutan and beyond. Following successful germination trials in 2024, full-scale field trials are now underway at both sites.
Organic Wild Lemongrass Essential Oil
Cymbopogon flexuosus
The soils of the warm Chirpine Forests in Eastern Bhutan are covered with wild lemongrass, which has a different scent profile than any other lemongrass. For our first lemongrass value-chain we have partnered with Singye, a rural entrepreneur from the remote and sacred Lhuentse valley in the East of Bhutan. We have helped Singye to build a distillation unit in his community Tshengkhar, based on electric steam generation and water cycling to address challenges in older lemongrass distillation setups. Our lemongrass essential oil has a fresh, citrusy aroma with earthy undertones, invigorating and instantly energizing the senses.
HIMALAYAN PINE
SCENT OF BHUTAN'S FOREST
Organic Himalayan Pine Essential Oil
Pinus wallichiana
Himalayan Pine is an iconic tree, growing in the lush and temparate mid altitude ranges of Bhutan. This oil is produced by our parner Kingdom Essences and the Kaba Community Forest in Trongsa. Himalayan Pine essential oil smells fresh, resinous and balmy, its scent is uplifting and comforting.
Organic Rhododendron Essential Oil
Rhododendron anthopogon
Rhododendron anthopogon is a fragrant alpine shrub that grows high in the Himalayas. For centuries, its leaves and flowers have been used in traditional Tibetan and Ayurvedic medicine to support respiration, digestion, and emotional well-being. Burned as incense in monasteries and homes, it is believed to purify the air and uplift the spirit. Today, its essential oil is valued in aromatherapy for its refreshing, clarifying scent and gentle calming effect. We source our Rhododendron from the Gangriphuensum Ngomen Tshogpa Collection Group.
Organic Bhutan Fir Essential Oil
Abies densa
Bhutan Fir is a coniferous high-altitude tree, growing only in Bhutan at altitudes above 3500 masl. The oil of Bhutan Fir is highly aromatic, it smells of fresh forest and resins with orange notes. We source Bhutan Fir from the Gangriphuensum Ngomen Tshogpa Collector Group. We are also developing a project with Shingkhar Community in Bumthang, which has the only Community Forest in the country which consists predominently of Bhutan Fir.
