Frankincense and Myrrh

Frankincense and Myrrh

Frankincense and myrrh are often mentioned together, yet they are not the same substance.

Both are aromatic gum-resins collected from trees and shrubs in the Burseraceae family. Frankincense generally comes from species of Boswellia, while true myrrh is most closely associated with Commiphora myrrha and related Commiphora species. Boswellia species are native across parts of tropical Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar, and India, while Commiphora myrrha is native from eastern and southeastern Ethiopia into northeastern Kenya and parts of the Arabian Peninsula. (Kew Gardens)

For thousands of years, these resins have travelled far beyond the dry landscapes where their source plants grow.

They have been used as:

Incense

Perfume ingredients

Offerings

Anointing materials

Funeral and burial aromatics

Household fragrance

Medicines in historical systems

Trade commodities

Symbols in religious storytelling

Their history connects African and Arabian producers with Egypt, the Mediterranean, the Levant, South Asia, and other regions linked by land and maritime trade.

However, popular writing often reduces them to the gifts of the Magi or describes them as mystical substances with guaranteed healing power. Their real history is broader, more complex, and closely connected with ecology, labour, trade, religion, and cultural authority.

Frankincense and myrrh are aromatic tree resins, not botanical herbs.

Frankincense is collected from Boswellia species; true myrrh is associated especially with Commiphora myrrha.

Important frankincense-producing landscapes occur in the Horn of Africa and southern Arabia.

Boswellia papyrifera grows from northeastern Nigeria toward Eritrea and northeastern Uganda, while Boswellia sacra is strongly associated with Oman and Yemen. (Kew Gardens)

Commiphora myrrha is native to dry regions from Ethiopia and Kenya into southern Arabia. (Kew Gardens)

The ancient Incense Route moved frankincense and myrrh for more than 2,000 kilometres toward Mediterranean markets. (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)

Ancient Egyptians used incense, myrrh, and scented oils in temple offerings and funerary contexts. (British Museum)

Hebrew and Christian scriptures mention frankincense in sacred incense, myrrh in anointing preparations, and both among the gifts presented to Jesus in Matthew. (Biblical texts)

Frankincense is commonly burned, while myrrh has also been especially valued in perfume, medicine, anointing, and burial traditions.

Different religious communities use aromatic resins in different ways; there is no single African, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or traditional meaning.

Burning resin produces smoke and should be done with ventilation and fire safety.

Frankincense supplements and essential oils should not replace medical care.

Several Boswellia populations face poor regeneration, overharvesting, grazing pressure, land conversion, fire, and other ecological threats. (Recent conservation research)

Ethical sourcing should protect trees, harvesters, local land rights, cultural knowledge, and supply-chain transparency.

Concise Definition

Frankincense is an aromatic gum-resin obtained from Boswellia trees, while myrrh is an aromatic gum-resin obtained mainly from Commiphora species.

Both materials harden after flowing from cuts or natural injuries in the bark.

In Simple Terms

Frankincense and myrrh are fragrant plant resins.

They are produced when certain dryland trees release sticky material that later hardens into small pieces sometimes called tears.

Frankincense usually has a fresher, citrus-like, pine-like, or balsamic aroma depending on the species and grade.

Myrrh is often darker, more bitter, earthy, warm, and medicinal in scent.

The exact appearance and aroma vary because several species, landscapes, harvest periods, storage methods, and trade grades are involved.

What Is Frankincense?

Frankincense is also known as olibanum.

It is collected from trees in the Boswellia genus. Kew records Boswellia as native across tropical Africa, Madagascar, the Arabian Peninsula, and India. The genus includes multiple resin-producing species rather than one universal frankincense tree. (Kew Gardens)

Important examples include:

Boswellia sacra in Oman and Yemen

Boswellia papyrifera across parts of northeastern and eastern Africa

Boswellia frereana in Somalia

Boswellia rivae in Ethiopia, Somalia, and northeastern Kenya

Boswellia serrata in South Asia

The resin differs by species.

This means a package labelled simply “frankincense” may not tell the buyer:

Which species produced it

Where it was harvested

Whether it was wild harvested or cultivated

How many times the tree was tapped

Whether harvesters were fairly compensated

Whether the source population is regenerating

What Is Myrrh?

Myrrh is most strongly associated with Commiphora myrrha, a dryland shrub or small tree native from eastern and southeastern Ethiopia into northeastern Kenya and parts of southern Arabia. The wider Commiphora genus contains many species, several of which produce fragrant or commercially valuable gum-resins. (Kew Gardens)

Myrrh pieces are often darker and less translucent than many common frankincense grades.

Historically, myrrh has been used in:

Perfume

Anointing oils

Burial preparations

Incense mixtures

Oral and topical remedies in traditional medical systems

Household fragrance

Trade and gift exchange

Commercial names can be confusing. Products called “myrrh,” “African myrrh,” “sweet myrrh,” or “bdellium” may come from different Commiphora species.

Accurate species identification matters for historical interpretation, quality, conservation, and safety.

Frankincense and Myrrh Compared

Feature

Frankincense

Myrrh

Main botanical genus

Boswellia

Commiphora

Plant family

Burseraceae

Burseraceae

Typical material

Hardened gum-resin

Hardened gum-resin

Common appearance

Pale cream, yellow, amber, greenish, or brown tears

Amber-brown, reddish-brown, or dark irregular pieces

Common aroma

Fresh, citrus-like, pine-like, balsamic, or woody

Earthy, bitter, warm, smoky, medicinal, or balsamic

Well-known historical uses

Incense, worship, fragrance, medicine, trade

Perfume, anointing, burial, medicine, incense, trade

Key warning

Species and sustainability may be unclear

Commercial naming and species identity may be unclear

These descriptions are general.

Colour and fragrance alone cannot reliably confirm species or authenticity.

How Resin Is Produced

Frankincense and myrrh trees survive in dry, rocky, and seasonally harsh environments.

Resin is part of the plant’s response to injury. Harvesters may make controlled cuts in the bark, allowing resin to emerge and harden before collection.

The process can involve:

1. Selecting a mature tree

2. Making a shallow incision