Sachs Museum at Missouri Botanical Garden

Sniffing at the Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum! Discover how the Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum uses scent to interpret living plant collections through olfactory storytelling.

Learn more about how #SmellingTheBouquet came together @mobotmuseum.bsky.social at the Olfactory Contractor blog post olfactorycontractor.com/stephen-and-...

#SmellingTheBouquet catalogue drop! Thanks to Stefanie Hermsdorf for the publication, to all the lenders, researchers, & olfactory contributors, perfumers Shawn Maher & Weston Adam, Virginia Harold for photography, & to donors Nancy Ridenour, and Nancy and Ken Kranzberg!
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Learn more about @mobotmuseum.bsky.social's #SmellingTheBouquet with the curator and @mobotgarden.bsky.social's Mónica Carlsen's scent research in Colombia 👃💐

Two sections of Jasmine plant stem with small green leaves and dried yellow flowers attached to paper with identifying label and number

One section of Jasmine plant stem bent in half with yellow and green leaves and dried yellow flowers attached to paper with identifying label and number

#SmellingTheBouquet Known for its scent, jasmine is an important plant whose flower buds are used in perfumery. 200+ varieties exist worldwide, yet only three species: (left) J. grandiflorum, J. auriculatum, & (right) J. sambac are commercially cultivated for their flowers. @mobotgarden.bsky.social

Multi petal white flower of gardenia blossom surrounded by shiny green leaves on shrub

#SmellingTheBouquet Gardenia flowers are too fragile for any type extraction method, so perfumers must use their skills to attempt to replicate the ephemeral & rich scent of a gardenia. Perfumer Weston Adam created an interpretive fragrance for the exhibition @mobotmuseum.bsky.social👃💐

Twig of leaves and browned blossoms attached to sheet of paper, with identification labels, number, and bar code of gardenia plant

#SmellingTheBouquet Gardenia is an evergreen flowering plant native to SE, E, & S Asia where its fragrant white blooms have long been desired by horticulturists. Cultivated in China for over 1000 years, it was introduced to English gardens in the mid-18th century. @mobotgarden.bsky.social Herbarium

#LunarNewYear #SmellingTheBouquet Scent or snuff bottle, ca. 20th c.; Courtesy of Eric Hoffman Collection
Jadeite came into prominent use in China in the 1700s, being admired for its colors. This container held scent or snuff (smokeless tobacco sniffed through the nose), and worn on a chain or cord.

#LunarNewYear #SmellingTheBouquet
Pomander, ca. 20th c.; Courtesy of Eric Hoffman Collection
Nephrite jade has been revered in Chinese culture for 8,000y, is tough to break, and a perfect material for this carved openwork. It would have been filled with aromatic spices or fragrant flower petals.

Thanks for the info!

Museum gallery with three panels on history and use of vanilla orchid fruit and sniffing table with glass domes with deconstructed compounds that make up the Madagascar vanilla scent

#SmellingTheBouquet The principal molecules in the fruit of Vanilla planifolia include vanillin, benzyl cinnamate, ethyl cinnamate, anisic aldehyde, guaiacol, and para-Cresol. These compounds add spicy, floral, and fruity flavors and nuance to the entire vanilla fragrance. Pix: Virginia Harold

Global map highlighting native, introduced, and extinct populations of vanilla planifolia from Kew Gardens

#SmellingTheBouquet Vanilla planifolia has been domesticated in Madagascar, Comoros, Réunion Island, and Indonesia. In 2017, the plant population in Mexico & Belize earned an endangered designation. Habitat loss and unregulated exploitation for research are the species’ main threats. Map: Kew

Bunch of cured brown vanilla pods tied with brown string in the middle

#SmellingTheBouquet Vanilla planifolia is the only orchid that bears edible fruit, and is endemic to SE Mexico & Belize. The cylindrical fruit pods containing tiny black seeds are the source of vanilla used in food and perfumery, commonly (and incorrectly) called beans. Pix: Shutterstock: Jiri Hera

#SmellingTheBouquet Vanilla comes from the fruit of the orchid Vanilla planifolia. Over 600ya, it was integral to the Totonac, Mayan & Aztec people in the plant’s native region of Mesoamerica. They practiced curing methods to enhance the aroma, making a paste to be blended with copal for incense.

Making Sense of Plant Scents - Discover + Share When scientists describe a new species, they often include a plethora of detail about its physical attributes — the size, shape, and color of its leaves, flowers, and fruits. But what about its…

Read the latest Discover + Share blog on how Garden scientist Dr. Mónica Carlsen is currently aiming to provide the first comprehensive characterization of floral scent across the genus Anthurium. 🔗

discoverandshare.org/2026/02/06/m...

Scent glasses on table

➕ Catch Dr. Carlsen and mobotmuseum.bsky.social curator, Nezka Pfeifer this week as they offer visitors an in-depth look of Dr. Carlsen's scent research and the Smelling the Bouquet exhibition (open now–March 1)!

🗓️ Wednesday, February 11 from 9 a.m.–Noon
📍 Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center

Woman smelling plant

When describing a new species, we often hear about the size, shape, and color of its leaves, flowers, and fruits. But what about its smell?

#chypre #SmellingTheBouquet Similar to C. ladanifer but with unspotted white flowers, Cistus palhinhae is a threatened species, with declining populations in its area of origin in southern coastal Portugal and Spain. It differs in height—it is shorter—than C. ladanifer. Pix: @mobotgarden Herbarium

#chypre #SmellingTheBouquet Cistus ladanifer is a resinous, flowering shrub native to the western Mediterranean. Fragrant resin is exuded from the woody stems and leaves (labdanum) that is harvested by boiling the twigs and leaves, and skimming the resin that floats to the surface. Pix: @mobotgarden

#SmellingTheBouquet The fragrance that gave birth to the contemporary family of Chypre perfumes was François Coty’s Chypre in 1917. Its success changed the world of perfume by adding a new fragrance family that was inspired by the legacy of Cypriot perfume making (chypre is French for Cyprus).

#SmellingTheBouquet Chypre fragrances are an alchemy of contrasts, described as evoking an earthy and damp forest floor.

Oak moss is a lichen with a complex scent characterized as green, seaweedy, earthy, smoky, woody, and animalic; in perfumes, it adds depth, warmth, and a forest-like quality.

Fragrant macewort has a scent that when crushed, is described as being similar to cloves or nutmeg—though it does not necessarily have a strong smell. These liverworts are part of @mobotgarden.bsky.social Herbarium's bryophyte collections, one of the largest in the world. #SmellingTheBouquet

#SmellingTheBouquet Dumortier's liverwort possesses oils that contain a variety of volatile chemical compounds, such as terpenoids found in pines, citrus, and spices.

If the surface of Snakeskin liverwort is scratched, it gives off a spicy scent, which is a key way to identify the genus.

#SmellingTheBouquet While all have some scent, liverworts (low-growing moss relatives) are renowned for their volatile compounds, which likely evolved to protect them from predation and include turpentine, carrots, mushrooms, and seaweed. Great scented liverwort is known for its subtle earthy scent.

(🧵1/3) This February marks the 100th anniversary of #BlackHistoryMonth!

Over the course of U.S. history, Black individuals have immensely contributed to art, literature, music, sports, politics, sciences, and more.

Couple posing with orchid

Couple crouching with drinks in front of orchids

Don't miss out! The first Orchid Nights kicks off tomorrow evening. 🍷🌸

🗓️ February 5 & February 19 from 6.–8 p.m.
🔗 buff.ly/q7ZeLSr

Tickets are required to be purchased in advance for this event. This event is for those 21+.

📸Mary Lou Olson

#MOBOTGarden

⚠️CLOSURE REMINDER⚠️

The Garden is closed today, January 26 due to inclement weather conditions.

Please plan your visit for another date.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation!

📸 Nathan Kwarta

#MOBOTGarden

⚠️ANNOUNCEMENT⚠️

The Garden will be closed on Saturday, January 24 and Sunday, January 25 due to inclement weather conditions.

Please plan your visit for another date.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation!

📸 Nathan Kwarta

#MOBOTGarden

A Conversation with Nezka Pfeifer | The Olfactory Contractor A conversation with curator Nezka Pfeifer on scent in museums and the challenges and rewards of olfactory storytelling.

How does scent change the way we curate museum exhibitions? #SmellingTheBouquet

In a recent episode of the Internet of Senses Institute Podcast, Sofia Ehrich spoke with @mobotmuseum.bsky.social curator Nezka Pfeifer @mobotgarden.bsky.social.

Read and listen olfactorycontractor.com/conversation...