Palo Santo is the common name for a tree that is native to Ecuador, Peru, and other parts of South America along the equator.

Its scientific name is “Bursera Graveolens”.

Palo Santo wood is widely believed to be one of the best plant species for energy cleansing purposes. 

It is considered sacred by some indigenous cultures in South America.

It also has many other applications that are not spiritual in nature, including its use as a mosquito repellent.

There have been many myths spread about Palo Santo (Bursera Graveolens), such as the myth that it is endangered (it is not endangered). 

The many ways to use Palo Santo make it a staple export of the native communities, many of which rely on its worldwide use for their livelihood.

Given that Palo Santo is held to be sacred and holds many beneficial properties, it is important to learn more about it in order to use it responsibly, ethically, and in an appreciative way.

Adding to the complexity is that Palo Santo has been lumped together with White Sage in conversations about the cultural appropriation of oppressed indigenous cultures in North America and South America.

However, there are significant differences between White Sage and Palo Santo which require the two sacred plants to be separated in order to have a fair conversation about the ethical and appreciative use of each.

We will touch on this later, but we are primarily focused on Palo Santo.

Recommended Read: https://oneloveholistics.com/blogs/news/is-palo-santo-endangered




The Palo Santo wood that is widely used for spiritual benefits and incense purposes (Bursera Graveolens) is not endangered. 




As of 2018, Bursera Graveolens status has been “of least concern” on the “Red List” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).




The confusion stems from a second tree species with the same common name, “Palo Santo”, but its scientific name is “Bulnesia Sarmiento”.




It is listed as "Endangered" on the same list.




However, the modern-day popularity of Palo Santo has created a potentially risky situation for the future of the tree species.




Palo Santo trees must die naturally and then lay for between 4 to 10 years before it can be harvested ethically and sustainably.




This is the only way to properly use it for spiritual purposes or for its aromatic qualities.




Palo Santo, just as most other popular resources, has unfortunately been commodified by those who unethically and unsustainably harvest Palo Santo wood for profit over all else.




This is done by cutting down living Palo Santo trees or harvesting dead Palo Santo wood before its true spiritual and aromatic benefits can be realized (the 4 to 10 year range).

At this point, you may be wondering more about the uses and benefits of Palo Santo.

This is a topic that has already been widely and well-covered elsewhere, so we’ll simply provide you with a short list and a few resources for further reading if you wish to learn more.

• Sources

• Ecuadorian hands
• One Love Holistics

• Practical Applications

• Tea
• Mosquito Repllent
• Skin Treatment
• Incense & Aromatherapy
• Spiritual Uses
• Meditation
• Purifying & Cleansing Rituals

Examples of Cultural Appropriation include:

• Disrespecting the original meaning of an item, symbol, tradition, or practice.

• Failure to give credit to the original source.

• Reinforcing stereotypes.

• Contributing to oppression.

• Profiting at the local’s expense.

Recommended Read: One Love Holistics

This is the best piece of wisdom I’ve received during my time reading, researching, and speaking with those closest to Palo Santo:

“Affirmation that it's OK for YOU to be working with Palo Santo only comes from within.”

If you are wondering whether or not it is okay for you to work with Palo Santo, it says that you care and your intentions are good. That is a very important first step towards appreciating Palo Santo.

It reminds me of a very different but comparable workplace saying which is this:

“Skills can be taught. Experience can be gained. But without a positive attitude, neither skills nor experience matter”.

Essentially, if your intentions are not good, not positive, and not thoughtful, then you really can’t use Palo Santo in any appreciative way.

But, you’re here, reading about the appropriate way to use Palo Santo and if it is even okay for you to use it.

That shows good intention.

To get a better understanding of the complexities and also for some real-world examples of cultural appropriation, we recommend: AustinCC.edu

• Educate yourself about the indigenous cultures and how they have and continue to use Palo Santo. Then, do not copy, mimic, or replicate their culture, but use it in your own way while respecting their history and traditions.

• Unless “smudging” is a part of your culture, do not refer to your practice as smudging. You are smoke cleansing or energy cleansing. They are different.

• Read more: https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/smoke-cleansing

• Educate others if and where you can. You don’t need to be the most knowledgeable individual on the topic to encourage others to learn more about the indigenous cultures or how to use Palo Santo in a positive way and to source it properly.

• Purchase Palo Santo at Indigenous-Owned shops or locally in Peru or Ecuador if possible. Here are a few good online options:

• https://www.lunasundara.com/

• https://sacredwoodessence.com/

• https://ecuadorianhands.com/en/

• Purchase from trustworthy, reputable retailers. Look for sources that are ethically and sustainably sourcing Palo Santo. Here are some things to look for in their content and to ask about:

• They only harvest already-dead Palo Santo which has aged for the appropriate 4 to 10 years.

• They either source from a supplier that works with, or they themselves work with local communities and have insights and content which shows that they care, have researched, and have good intentions.

• This allows the local native communities where Palo Santo originates to make a good living.

• It also helps to minimize the black market for Palo Santo.

White Sage is a herb native to southern California and northwestern Mexico. It is deeply rooted in Native American cultures. It is used in spiritual rituals such as Smudging, as well as for medicinal purposes and as a food ingredient.

The popularity of White Sage for use in modern spiritual practices by non–indigenous people has led to significant challenges and pain for the Native American Communities and Cultures which hold White Sage as a sacred herb and an important resource and symbol of their culture.

As an example, it is being unethically harvested as a commodity by many which do not respect the sacredness of the plant, or even its practical applications.

The plants are sometimes harvested incorrectly, or even torn out by the roots, guaranteeing that the plants will not be able to regrow and making it difficult for those who hold it sacred to have access to it.

These types of atrocities are sometimes occurring on private land and Native American lands in the dead of night.

A simple search of “White Sage in Culture” will reveal 100’s of articles about these offenses, and first-hand accounts from people of indigenous cultures that hold White Sage sacred. Their stories describe how these actions and the commoditization of white sage is causing them and their people a great deal of pain, and limiting their access to white sage.

While Palo Santo often gets tied together with White Sage as one and the same situation, the two have very different realities.

Palo Santo is adored by those who are native to the land where it grows. They farm it, use it, and celebrate it. Many of them even depend on it for their livelihood.

The stories about white sage from those who hold it sacred do not parallel the stories about Palo Santo.

That is not to say that Palo Santo is not ever illegally, unethically, or unsustainably harvested…It sometimes is.

But the ethical and sustainable sourcing of Palo Santo supports the communities where it is farmed, and allows those native communities the ability to continue to plant new trees and make a fair living. All the while those who hold it sacred, or those who use it strictly for practical purposes, have access to it.

Cutting off the use of White Sage entirely by non-indigenous people would be greatly beneficial for the indigenous cultures and native people.

Cutting off the use of Palo Santo to anyone outside of Peru or Ecuador would directly result in economic hardship for the many who depend on it.

For more insights and a different view of how to think about the use of Palo Santo, please see: https://oneloveholistics.com/blogs/news/is-palo-santo-endangered-part-three