Orris root is obtained by sun-drying and peeling the fresh root of Iris florentina. After drying, the root is stored for two years to develop a delicate violet scent. Orris root is usually purchased in ground form. Benzoin, once called Benjamin or Java Frankincense, is a gum which exudes from the Stryrax benzoin, a shrub native to Java and Siam. Benzoin is a common ingredient in incense.
Spices add an interesting scent to the potpourri mixture, and also act as fixatives.
The familiar sticks, obtained from the inner bark of a young tree, may be ground and added to the potpourri mixture. Since ancient times the wood of this tree was used for making fans, musical instruments, and to line closets to ward off moths. Sandalwood is also burned at the altar, and eventually became an important ingredient in incense burned in synagogues. The chips, or shavings, are most suitable for potpourri. Native to Arabia and Ethiopia, the bark of this tree produces a bitter tasting gum once used as a cure for sore throat, and was burned by the sun worshippers of Heliopolis each day at noon until the mid-1700s.