December 20, 20243 min readLearn which molecules are responsible for giving Christmas trees their distinct, crisp-yet-spicy scentBy Meghan Bartels edited by Lauren J. Young Iuliia Bondar/Getty ImagesNothing smells quite like a Christmas tree—but where does that magical woodsy-yet-cozy aroma come from? You can thank a ubiquitous category of chemicals called terpenes.“Terpenes are the largest class of naturally produced chemicals in the world,” says Justin Whitehill, a plant pathologist who researches Christmas trees full time at North Carolina State University. “They’re found in pretty much all plant species.”Terpenes can play a…
