Aromatherapy by Plant Part

Blending Essential Oils by Plant Part

Have you ever wanted to make a new blend of your favorite essential oils, but did not know where to start? Have you tried blending your favorite oils with a plan to create a delightful aroma only to get a questionable, unpleasant medicinal scent? Me too.

Some people are great at blending by intuition, but most are not. There are yet other ways to blend:

• Blending by note helps create a well-rounded aroma

• Blending by constituent or therapeutic action is useful when addressing specific wellness concerns

• Blending by plant part is a practical way to match the qualities of a plant part with the emotional or physical support you need

Why Blend by Plant Part?

Think of a plant as a complete being, where each part contributes something unique to its survival and growth. Seeds carry energy for new life, roots ground and nourish, leaves breathe, flowers attract, fruits energize, bark gives strength, and resins protect. When different plant parts are distilled, their distinct qualities, both aromatic and therapeutic, are captured.

Here's why this approach works so well: 

Each plant part has a specific function, and that function transfers into the essential oil's properties. Seeds store concentrated energy for new growth, so seed oils support fresh starts and potential. Roots anchor and nourish, so root oils ground and stabilize us. This is not just a metaphor; it is real-life chemistry in action!

When you understand what each plant part offers, you can choose oils that match what you need, creating blends that work on multiple levels: aromatic, therapeutic, and emotional.

Choosing Plant Parts

Seeds

Support for Fresh Starts

Seeds are fascinating little packages of pure potential. They contain everything needed to create an entire new plant, plus the concentrated nutrients to fuel that growth. Essential oils from seeds tend to be warming, nourishing, and deeply supportive.

• Aromatic qualities: rich, complex, often spicy-sweet

• Emotional benefits: inspiring, supportive

• Examples

  • Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum): sweet, spicy, digestively soothing

  • Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans): warm, comforting, gently sedating

  • Sweet fennel (Foeniculum vulgare): licorice-like, digestively supportive

  • Coriander (Coriandrum sativum): fresh-spicy, uplifting

  • Anise (Pimpinella anisum): sweet, licorice-like, soothing

Roots & Rhizomes

Stability and Calm

The root system anchors a plant in the earth, drawing up water and nutrients from deep in the soil. Root oils carry this same grounding, stabilizing energy. They are perfect when you are dealing with anxiety and scattered thinking.

• Aromatic qualities: deep, earthy, often smoky or woody

• Emotional benefits: grounding, calming, stabilizing

• Examples

  • Ginger (Zingiber officinale): warming, stimulating, immune-supporting

  • Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanoides): deeply grounding, smoky-sweet

  • Turmeric (Curcuma longa): earthy, slightly bitter, anti-inflammatory

  • Spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi): musky, animal-like, deeply calming

Wood/Bark

Strength & Centering

The woody trunk conducts nutrients throughout the plant and provides structural support. Wood and bark oils offer us that same sense of inner strength and steadiness. They help when we feel scattered or need support for our physical structure.

• Aromatic qualities: woody, warm, often slightly sweet

• Emotional benefits: centering, strengthening, structurally supportive

• Examples

  • Cedarwood (Juniperus virginiana): soft, woody, calming

  • Cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum verum): intensely warm, spicy, antimicrobial

  • Ho wood (Cinnamomum camphora): gentle, calming, balancing

Resins

Healing & Comfort

When a tree is wounded, it produces resin to heal and protect the injury. Resin oils offer this same healing potential, both for physical wounds and emotional hurt.

• Aromatic qualities: rich, balsamic, complex, often sweet-smoky

• Emotional benefits: healing, supportive, protective, uplifting

• Examples

  • Frankincense (Boswellia carterii): transcendent, woody-citrusy, anti-aging

  • Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha): balsamic, slightly medicinal, emotionally healing

  • Copaiba balsam (Copaifera officinalis): honey-like, warming, anti-inflammatory

  • Peru balsam (Myroxylon balsamum): vanilla-cinnamon-like, comforting

Leaves & Needles

Clear Breathing

Leaves are where life-supporting photosynthesis happens; leaves act as the lungs of the plant via air exchange, and protect the plant from environmental stressors. Leaf oils support our breathing, both literally, and help protect us from the overwhelm of stressors.

• Aromatic qualities: fresh, green, often cooling or stimulating

• Emotional benefits: protective, mentally clarifying

• Examples

  • Peppermint (Mentha x piperita): cooling, stimulating, mentally clearing

  • Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus): sharp, clearing, decongestant

  • Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens): rose-like, balancing, uplifting

  • Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens): fresh, woody, respiratory-supporting

Flowers

Gentle Heart Care

Flowers exist to attract; they are the plant's way of drawing in pollinators with beauty and fragrance. Floral oils carry this same attractive, gentle, caring energy. They are the most emotionally supportive oils, perfect for matters of the heart and gentle emotional healing.

• Aromatic qualities: complex, often sweet, emotionally evocative

• Emotional benefits: nurturing, emotionally balancing, uplifting

• Examples

  • Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): floral, soothing, relaxing

  • Rose (Rosa damascena): luxurious, soothing, supportive

  • Chamomile (Matricaria recutita): sweet, gentle, healing

  • Neroli (Citrus aurantium): citrusy-floral, uplifting, anti-anxiety

Fruits

Energy & Uplift

Fruits are nature's way of sharing sweetness and ensuring the energy for life. Fruit oils (mostly citrus peels) bring joy, energy, and that bright spark of happiness to any blend.

• Aromatic qualities: bright, fresh, uplifting, often citrusy

• Emotional benefits: joyful, energizing, inspiring

• Examples

  • Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis): cheerful, warming, immune-supporting

  • Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi): energizing, cleansing, mood-lifting

  • Lemon (Citrus limon): purifying, mental clarity, fresh

  • Juniper berry (Juniperus communis): fresh, purifying, cleansing

  • Black pepper (Piper nigrum): spicy, warming, stimulating

How to Start Blending by Plant Part

1. Identify the area where you need support 

2. Match your need with the part(s) that best support(s) it

3. Select one to three oils (simple blends can be great)

4. Hold the open bottles, or their caps, near your nose and check the aroma, adjust as needed

5. Be sure to take notes, because you will inevitably forget if it is not written down

• Stuck/stagnant, low energy/mood → seeds + fruits

• Restless, scattered → roots + woods

• Gentle support, overwhelmed → flowers + woods

• Congested → leaves

• Emotional hurt/trauma → resins + flowers

• Mental fog → leaves + fruits

• Sad/grieving → fruits + resins

• Warn down, burnt out → seeds + woods

Example Diffuser Blends

To convert these recipes to personal inhaler use, simply double the number of drops

When Feeling Stagnant 

Seed & Fruit Blend

• 4 drops mandarin (Citrus reticulata)

• 2 drops fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

• 1 drop cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)

Benefit: Helps inspire forward movement when you feel stuck and helps reawaken sluggish energy, including digestive sluggishness

When Feeling Congested

Leaf Blend

• 4 drops Siberian fir (Abies sibirica)

• 1 drop peppermint (Mentha x piperita)

• 1 drop eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus)

Benefit: Supports clear breathing and a refreshed outlook

When Feeling Overwhelmed

Flower + Wood Blend

• 3 drops lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

• 2 drops ho wood (Cinnamomum camphora ct linalool)

• 1 drop German chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

Benefit: Brings calm, strength, and emotional support

When Feeling Low

Fruit Blend

• 3 drops sweet orange (Citrus sinensis)

• 2 drops lemon (Citrus limon)

• 2 drops black pepper (Piper nigra)

Benefit: Encourages a lighter, more energized, and cheerful mood

When Needing Scattered

Root + Wood Blend

• 4 drops ginger (Zingiber officinale)

• 1 drop vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides)

• 1 drop Atlas cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica)

Benefit: Helps calm restless energy, steady emotions, and encourage confidence

Final Thoughts

Blending by plant part gives you a practical framework for creating unique blends that work for you. Start simple with just one to three oils from the plant parts that match your needs. Trust your nose; if something does not smell right to you, adjust the blend. Some of my best discoveries have come from experimenting with these plant part combinations and seeing what works.

The next time you are unsure where to start with blending, consider what you need support with, then choose plant parts accordingly.