Constituent · Monoterpene hydrocarbon
α-phellandrene
α-phellandrene is a light, volatile monoterpene hydrocarbon — the kind of fresh, often citrusy or piney top-note compound that evaporates fastest from an oil. Across our dataset it was measured in 48 oils (514 samples), concentrating most in Elemi, Lemon eucalyptus, Blue tansy.
Essential oils richest in α-phellandrene
Measured relative composition (GC peak-area %) pooled across published GC-MS samples — median, typical range (middle 50%) and the maximum seen.
| Oil | Median | Typical range | Max | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elemi | 14.5% | 14.5%–14.5% | 14.5% | 1 |
| Lemon eucalyptus | 9.7% | 4.95%–14.45% | 19.2% | 2 |
| Blue tansy | 4.08% | 2.64%–5.51% | 6.95% | 2 |
| Tarragon | 3.44% | 3.44%–3.44% | 3.44% | 1 |
| Yarrow | 2.33% | 1.07%–2.58% | 6.61% | 19 |
| Palmarosa | 2.05% | 2.05%–2.05% | 2.05% | 1 |
| Black pepper | 1.99% | 0.65%–4.16% | 15.98% | 20 |
| Dill | 1.66% | 1.41%–5.53% | 52.88% | 26 |
| Juniper | 1.38% | 0.59%–1.92% | 2.4% | 14 |
| Frankincense | 1.25% | 0.82%–2.7% | 5.48% | 6 |
| Fennel | 1.15% | 0.13%–1.91% | 42.77% | 40 |
| Eucalyptus globulus | 1% | 0.28%–2.58% | 4.8% | 7 |
| Anise | 0.97% | 0.54%–1.39% | 1.82% | 2 |
| Cumin | 0.92% | 0.71%–1.27% | 1.36% | 10 |
| Cinnamon bark | 0.87% | 0.4%–1.2% | 1.53% | 18 |
| Nutmeg | 0.84% | 0.59%–1.01% | 1.78% | 27 |
| Clary sage | 0.8% | 0.8%–0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
| Marjoram | 0.5% | 0.2%–0.52% | 1.01% | 20 |
| Ginger | 0.46% | 0.46%–0.46% | 0.46% | 1 |
| Rosemary | 0.45% | 0.23%–0.64% | 2.99% | 51 |
Oils in our library are linked above — open any profile for its full composition, safety panel and the research behind it.
Related constituents
Other monoterpene hydrocarbon compounds across the oils.
Figures are GC peak-area percentages pooled across published GC-MS samples, not concentrations, and describe chemistry — not health effects. How this is built →