The plant that produces this remarkable aroma is a tropical member of the lamiaceae family. Distant relatives include lavender, rosemary and many other herb plants associated with more temperate regions. Patchouli seems to have moved south and suffused itself in the mysterious aromas of a dark and steamy jungle while retaining a hint of the sunny, herbal fragrances of its northern Mediterranean cousins. Patchouli was first described by botanists in the Philippines in 1845. Today growing interest in its fragrance has led to patchouli's widespread cultivation throughout tropical Asia.
True patchouli has hairy stems, flowers only reluctantly, and is usually propagated by cuttings.
A second species, Pogostemon heyneanus , known as Java patchouli, has smooth stems and flowers. Java patchouli has an inferior aroma and may show up as an adulterant in the whole leaf form or the distilled oil. Plants available from herb nurseries labeled as Pogostemon cablin often turn out to be Pogostemon heyneanus . Patchouli has long been used as a moth repellent in Asia. This practice may have been responsible for its introduction to Europe in the early 1800s.