Bushmans Candle

Sarcocaulon mossamedense aka Bushmans candle, is a member of the Geraniaceae family, yes, geraniums. But this isn't that. Bushmans candle are low growing succulents with spikes, like cactus. They grow primarily in South Africa, Namibia, but there are some that grow in Angola as well. The part used is the bark of the plant. I first heard about Bushmans candle from a faraway friend, Jade M. She gave me the head's up that one of our favorite incense ingredient suppliers had a limited stock, so I got a bit to try. Let me tell you, I was surprised by what I got. What I received resembled horse chestnuts, the shavings from a horse's elbow, but didn't really have a scent, so I set the package aside for a bit since I was in the middle of a move and couldn't really dedicate any time to evaluating. Fast forward a few weeks and I burn a little piece and there it was -- the beauty that Jade had told me about emerged, and boy, what a surprise.

Bushmans candle smells like a sweet myrrh and a deep resinous sacra frankincense cuddled with a furry animal (not a furry-fecal animal), and then slapped it on the bum with a vanilla pod. The scent is warm and rich and slightly sweet and nothing in the world smells quite like it. On an electric burner, the scent is intensified and really, really deep. Very soothing and comforting scent which would help with relaxation and meditation. Quite a revelation, this odd little creature.

I've yet to use my bushmans candle in an incense formulation, but I imagine it would add quite a bit to a sweet, floral incense, or a deeply warm and animalic incense. The fact that the scent bursts when warmed or burned implies that this raw material would be useful in both combustible and non-combustible incense.