Orris root is the root of some species of iris, grown principally in southern Europe: Iris germanica, Iris florentina, and Iris pallida. Once important in western herbal medicine, it is now used mainly as a fixative and base note in perfumery, as well as an ingredient in many brands of gin (perhaps most famously in Bombay Sapphire gin). Orris root must generally be hung and aged for 5 years before It can be used for perfumery. This is also the substance left out of products that are labeled hypo-allergenic.

Here is a link that might be useful: Google search Orris Root

Well now, Randy, aren't you just a font of interesting iris facts! I didn't know orris root is aged for 5 yrs before being used in perfume, I didn't know anything about its use in gin, and I certainly didn't know that it's the allergen that is left out of hypo-allergenic products!

Fascinating!

Laurie

I want to try the iris gin... LOL

Very interesting. Thanks Randy. I just dug mine up and threw it away last year. Not exactly cutting edge beauty in bloom.

I love my iris germanica. It blooms nice and early with the smaller species dwarf beardeds, before the modern ones bloom, so it is a reminder to me every year that the iris season is a'comin'
Just be careful kundalini, when you go to buy Iris germanica. You will be wanting the species, and not a modern variety of tall bearded iris.

I was reading up on making orris root powder a few years ago when I had an over abundance of excess rhizomes. The process is easy enough to accomplish, but the time involved is daunting.

Wash and dry freshly dug rhizomes, then peel all the outer skin off them and slice into wedges 1/8 of an inch thick. Next, using a large needle or other pointed tool punch a hole in the the slices and space them out along a length of string so they can hang and dry. They must dry out completely before the next step is taken, which is to take them off the string and seal them in an air-tight jar for 3-5 years. The aging process is key. After this time the slices can be ground into the powder we know as orris root.

The few pieces I dried as an experiment were hard as rock when done. I'd think a mechanical grinder would be needed. I didn't bother storing, but would like to try this again one of these years and see what the finished product really is like.

Mike