Ethically sourced palo santo (Bursera graveolens)

Palo santo wards off negative emotions and spirits, cleanses a space, and is an alternative to burning sage Isn't palo santo endangered?? you ask

Well yes, and no, one type of palo santo called Bulnesia sarmientoi is endangered and over forested however the kind I sell is not. Much of the confusion about Palo Santo may arise from the fact that there are actually two South American trees called Palo Santo, and they are both frequently enjoyed for their fragrances.

Although these trees share the name Palo Santo (the name translates from Spanish as “Sacred Wood,” an allusion to the incense commonly burned at Catholic mass), they are two totally different species that grow in different parts of this vast Spanish-speaking region.

One of these species, a mahogany-like tree known to botanists as Bulnesia sarmientoi, actually is threatened with over-exploitation … but not the one we sell (Bursera graveolens).