Speaker: David Crow. The essential oil of Helichrysum italicum (immortelle oil) has emerged as one of the most therapeutically important and economically valuable oils on the world market, bringing multiple challenges to those who cultivate it. This multimedia presentation will cover:

• How immortelle became famous, and the complex interrelationships of tourism, industry, traditional livelihoods and the disappearance of wild plants
• Therapeutic differences of wild versus cultivated varieties, ecotypes, and chemotypes
• Cultivation, harvesting and distillation methods
• Unique spiritual characteristics of immortelle oil