Constituent · Monoterpene hydrocarbon
β-phellandrene
β-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 37 oils (217 samples), concentrating most in Balsam fir, Lime, Ravintsara.
Essential oils richest in β-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balsam fir | 5.38% | 5.38%–5.38% | 5.38% | 1 |
| Lime | 5.3% | 3.27%–7.32% | 9.34% | 2 |
| Ravintsara | 3.75% | 0.04%–4.04% | 10.47% | 5 |
| Sage | 3.4% | 2.27%–4.18% | 5% | 4 |
| Hyssop | 2.96% | 2.88%–3.29% | 5.65% | 11 |
| Pine | 2.65% | 1.58%–4.48% | 9.6% | 16 |
| Marjoram | 2.44% | 2.21%–7.24% | 20.1% | 26 |
| Cardamom | 2.22% | 1.71%–2.98% | 3.74% | 3 |
| Elemi | 2.1% | 2.1%–2.1% | 2.1% | 1 |
| Fennel | 1.68% | 0.45%–2.25% | 5.64% | 15 |
| Yarrow | 1.63% | 0.94%–32.92% | 36.62% | 8 |
| Palmarosa | 1.1% | 1.1%–1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
| Laurel | 1.07% | 1.07%–1.07% | 1.07% | 1 |
| Eucalyptus globulus | 1.06% | 0.57%–2.63% | 4.2% | 3 |
| Oregano | 1.04% | 0.91%–1.65% | 2.26% | 3 |
| Nutmeg | 0.87% | 0.4%–1.06% | 2.46% | 9 |
| Cypress | 0.85% | 0.53%–1.26% | 1.57% | 4 |
| Black pepper | 0.79% | 0.13%–1.7% | 2.14% | 6 |
| Orange | 0.72% | 0.52%–0.97% | 2.46% | 15 |
| Tarragon | 0.71% | 0.71%–0.71% | 0.71% | 1 |
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 →