Myrrh

Commiphora spp.

Myrrh is native to Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia and Oman.¹ In the earliest history of trade, the herb was an “offering of value,” as it is often mentioned in the Bible.⁸ The first recorded effort of domestication of Myrrh occurred in 1495 when Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt sent an expedition to Somalia to bring back trees that produced fragrant resin.¹ It is said that 31 trees were brought back in wicker baskets slung on poles, then planted in the Garden of Thebes.¹

The name Myrrh denotes “bitter” and is most likely of Arabic origin.⁸ The herb was one used in combination for embalming of Egyptian nobles and pharaohs.⁷

Myrrh is also used in Kyphi, a sweet, spicy and resinous incense that has been used since ancient Greece.⁴ The ingredients include raisins, wine, honey, mineral pitch, Myrrh, Lemongrass, Sweet Flag, Cyperus tuber, Saffron, Spikenard, Rosewood, Cardamom, and Cinnamon.⁴

The plant is valued in the landscape for its ability to prevent soil erosion caused by wind, and is often found flourishing in shallow soil, most often over limestone deposits.¹ Myrrh is commonly found in bushland habitats among native flora and fauna and in desert scrubland thickets.^1,6 In the forests on the shores of the Red Sea, the shrub was known to create an undergrowth.⁸ It prefers full sun, high temperatures, dry to moist soil, and is drought tolerant.⁶

The Myrrh oleo-gum-resin naturally oozes from the tree and hardens on the bark in sizes ranging from a pea to a large walnut.⁹ The irregular pieces were said to resemble the tree’s “tears,” which is now the commonly referred to plant part description.⁹ To collect the fragrant tears, trees are scored in several places on their main trunk or cut branches.^2,6 These scores in the bark begin to produce a milky resin that hardens into an amber/reddish-brown tear as it begins to dry on the tree.² After about two weeks, the tears are ready for collection and dried.^2,6 If collected properly, this procedure does not harm the tree, and therefore doesn’t threaten the sustainability of Myrrh.² A number of species produce chemically similar oleo-gum-resin and share the same uses in herbalism.

1. World Agroforestry Centre. Agroforestree Database. 2019. (Agroforestree Database. 5 July 2019.) Nairobi, 00100, Kenya.
2. Crow D. The Pharmacy of Flowers. Nevada City, CA: Floracopeia Publishing; 2005.
3. Skenderi G. Herbal Vade Mecum. Rutherford, NJ: Herbacy Press; 2003.
4. Holmes P. The Energetics of Western Herbs, Vol. 2. Boulder, CO: Snow Lotus Press; 2006.
5. Van Wyk B, Wink M. Medicinal Plants of the World, 5th ed. Portland, OR & London, England: Timber Press; 2012.
6. Plants for a Future. 1996-2012. Plants for a Future Database (Plants For A Future, 18 March 2019). Devon EX7 9LX England.
7. Cook W. H. A Compend of the New Materia Medica Together with Additional Descriptions of Some Old Remedies. Chicago, IL: Cook; 1896.
8. Waggaman S. A Compendium of Botanic Materia Medica for Use of Students in Medicine and Pharmacy. Washington, D. C.: W. H. Lowdermilk & Co; 1895.
9. King J. The American Eclectic Dispensatory. Cincinnati, OH: Moore, Wilstach & Keys; 1854.