Ikadenshin Incense, Magnolia, 20 sticks

At a glance

- The same magnolia blossom many UK gardens and parks already show off each spring, in fragrance form
- An elegant, noble scent from a bloom that opens early and briefly
- 20 sticks, each burning 15 to 17 minutes
- Comes with a small incense holder, ready to burn straight away

Magnolia trees are as familiar a sight in British gardens as in Japan, that pale pink-white blossom that opens before most other trees have caught up. This incense carries the flower's own particularly elegant, noble scent, unusual for something that flowers so briefly each year.

It's part of Ikadenshin, a range built entirely around real flowers rather than abstract ideas of them, translating roughly as "conveying the heart through flowers." Each stick starts as the same hand-kneaded sandalwood-based paste used across Kousaido's range, worked with natural woods, resins and herbs, then rolled thin and dried slowly. Kousaido was founded in Kyoto's Karasuma district in 1994, continuing kōdō, the fragrance tradition the city has practised for over 400 years.

Twenty sticks come in the box, each burning 15 to 17 minutes, along with a small holder to burn them in.

A blossom you already know, however you first noticed it.