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Every December has its hard - to - find treasure — a toy or game that becharm the zeitgeist and vaporize off the shelves . In the past several years , one holiday symbolic representation has become more and more scarce : Frankincense , the original Christmas gift , the one that preceded them all . The aromatic resin became implant in Christmas tradition when , harmonise to the Apostelic Father Matthew , the Biblical Magi brought gifts of gum olibanum , sweet cicely , and gold to a Bethlehem nativity . Once abundant , frankincense is now threatened with nigh - experimental extinction , as the trees that secrete the ancient rosin have bring together the international Red List of Threatened Species . In the vacation custom , however , there is hope . of late , plant scientist may have discover the trick to sustainable harvesting , and increase the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ’s numbers .
Boswellia sacratrees in Dhofar , southern responsibility of the Sultanate of Oman . Photo by : Helen Pickering / Kew .
Boswelliais a genus of 19 trees that grow primarily in the Arabian Peninsula , East Africa , and India . Frankincense is derive from four species , includingBoswellia sacra , the source of a particularly fine frankincense , and believed to be the tree with Biblical notoriety . Frankincense is harvest by incise the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree trunk and collecting the remainder ( in this case , it emerges milky white ) , much like when harvest maple syrup . The excreted resin hardens and forms so - called " tears . " These snag are the heart of frankincense and have been lauded by different cultures for thousands of years . The ancient Egyptians believed that olibanum tears were the sweat of gods condensing on earth . When the mythical Phoenix bird rose from the ash , it was say to have built a nest from Boswellia twigs and feed on gum olibanum tear .
ABoswellia sacratree at Wadi Dowkah Natural Park ( Dhofar , Oman ) . Photos by : Mauro Raffaelli & Ben Norvell ( bottom left ) .
Despite its long history as a sanctified plant , Boswelliatrees today are looking at a grim future tense . According to a work print in theJournal of Applied Ecology , the tree are threatened by various pressure that may slim their numbers by 90 percent in the next few decades . Young saplings are not surviving , trees are seeding less frequently and with decreased viability . Over - harvesting is a broker , but so are predators and increase fires .
In 2012 , hope was found in a newspaper in theAnnals of Botany . By mapping the tree ’s anatomy , botanists from the Netherlands and Ethiopia describe a new overture to tapping the trees , one that will give more rosin with less harm to the tree . Motuma Tolera , an author of the study , excuse : " tap the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree creates lesion in the prow that take resources to be healed , and more wound create more opportunities for insects to assault the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . It ’s not a surprisal that some trees die out . " When he and his colleagues observe an intricate web of channel in the internal bark , they saw " an option to reduce the telephone number of cuts , and slenderize the scathe to the tree . "
Tolera articulate , " Our solution suggest that tapping can become more efficient . A cut that goes deeper , earlier in the tap cycle , may drain the rosin more effectively . This unfold new ways for a more sustainable olibanum production organization . "
While botanists study the tree in Africa , horticulturalists in the United States can begin their own frankincense research . ANew York Timesarticleprofiles an Arizona - basedBoswelliacultivator who manage to grow all 19 species of the genus .
