Bontoux SA
Herboristerie
BOTANICALS - AN OVERVIEW

Botanicals

Introduction

Based in the heart of lavender and lavandin country, the Clos d'Aguzon group has been marketing flowers and bouquets of those two plants for more than 25 years, perpetuating a traditional artisanal activity of the Haute Provence region. Through the close relations it has built up with local producers, Clos d'Aguzon has developed a complete range of Botanicals, including prized products like Baronnies linden, Provençal thyme, Provençal rosemary, gentian root, etc.
Today Botanicals are an integral part of the activities of Bontoux S.A. within the Clos d'Aguzon group.

The scientific use of herbs is the ancestor of medicine, which recognizes the many therapeutic benefits of plants. The World Health Organization has identified more than 22,000 plants used in traditional medicine. France alone has more than 1,200 plants listed in the European Pharmacopoeia.

There is a strong trend in modern-day society toward a return to essential values with respect for nature, through the development of integrated agriculture, followed by organic agriculture, sustainable development in harmony with the environment, etc. More and more consumers are interested in plants as a source of health and well-being. Lavender is known for its antiseptic and soothing effects, thyme and rosemary as aids to digestion…

Botanicals from Bontoux S.A.: A reliable value

Bontoux offers you more than one hundred species of aromatic and medicinal plants, spices, etc., and can fill any order from 100 kg to several tons.

Our main suppliers are local producers with whom we forge close partnerships in order to ensure optimal quality for all of our products. We work together on production and distribution programs, monitor the crops in the field, etc.

Our main commercial partners are key players in the food and pharmaceuticals industries all over the world (Europe, US, Asia…).

We also market aromatic plants that are grown organically and certified organic by Ecocert.

Aromatic plants of Provence

Provençal thyme and rosemary are characterized by their distinctive color and high concentration of top-quality essential oil. Savory and basil are grown in carefully-chosen soils in order to obtain the finest possible quality.

Baronnies Linden

Linden is harvested manually from trees that grow in all the valleys and villages of the Baronnies region. The trees themselves are not cultivated or treated in any particular way. Once harvested, the linden is dried naturally on racks exposed to the open air but shaded against the sun. The exceptional quality of Baronnies linden is due to the particular variety of tree and the region's favorable climatic conditions: abundant sunlight, moderate rainfall, just the right altitude, etc. In addition to its characteristic fragrance and flavor, Baronnies linden has an especially large bract and a unique yellow-green color.

Gentian root

Gentian is a wild plant that grows in mountainous areas at altitudes of about 1500 m. Its root is highly prized in the food flavors industry, especially for beverages, due to its flavor and its distinctive bitter quality. The roots are harvested manually and dried in the open air. We select gentian from the best sites and require that the roots be thoroughly cleaned before bagging in order to eliminate all impurities.

The cultivation of lavender and lavandin

These two traditional Provençal plants, members of the Lamiaceae family and the Lavandula genus, blossom in June and July and are harvested in July. They are planted in argilo-calcareous soil using environmentally-friendly integrated farming techniques. Lavender grows at altitudes of 800 to 1200 m, while lavandin is adapted to slightly lower altitudes, from 600 to 1000 m.

Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia Miller or Lavandula officinalis Chaix

Fine lavender : "true" or "population" lavender; the individual plants are all genetically different.
Clonal lavender : particular clones are selected and propagated by cutting, which means that the individual plants are all genetically identical.

Short, single floral stems, narrow leaves.

As a result of varietal selection from generation to generation, qualities of lavender with an especially intense color, called Blue Lavender, are cultivated specifically for the harvesting of lavender flowers.

Lavandin

Lavandula angustifolia Miller x Lavandula latifolia (L.f.) Medikus

Lavandin is a cross between fine and spike lavender. Several varieties of lavandin (selected clones) are cultivated on a large scale, the main one being Lavandin Grosso.

Branched stems like spike lavender. Well-developed, rounded bushes that are all genetically identical, which results in perfectly uniform rows. A sterile plant propagated by cutting.

Lavender and lavandin bouquets and flowers : an artisanal tradition in Provence

The dried flowers and bouquets are used for interior decoration, home fragrances, potpourris, scented sachets for linen closets, etc.

The flowers are harvested and separated from their stems by machine, while the bouquets are harvested by hand. After drying, the flowers are sorted by screening. The bouquets are dried in the open air and then packed.