Is sandalwood and palo santo the same or not? No sandalwood and palo santo are not the same however both are fragrant woods with similar uses and purposes.
Sandalwood and palo santo are two different costly woods worldwide, they are not the same but have similar qualities, purpose and uses. Both are traditional woods with similar uses like fragrant products, medicines and are used in cleaning negative energy and religious events like worship and marriages. The Palo santo burner is used for burning small sticks.
Is sandalwood and palo santo the same
Is sandalwood and palo santo the same or not? No sandalwood and palo santo are two different trees. Some people get confused in America because both trees are fragrant trees highly used for incense making.
The palo santo and sandalwood stick incense and powders are mostly used in religious and spiritual programs. Let’s understand both trees more deeply and clear your doubts is sandalwood and palo santo the same.
Sandalwood and palo santo trees have traditional values
Bhoth woods have traditional values and it is believed that sandals sticks and palo santo sticks can be used to clean negative energy and create a positive atmosphere.
Palo santo and sandalwood tastes
Palo santo wood tastes like mint and citrus whereas sandalwood tastes like macadamia fruit, hazelnut or almond. Sandalwood has a creamy nutty and earthy taste, its nuts are consumed raw or roasted. Macadamia is one of the costly fruits and farmers can earn good money in macadamia farming. Almond farming profit is also on a higher side.
Common names
Do you know what is palo santo also known as? The answer is the palo santo tree is also known as Bursera Graveloens and the holy wood. Bursera Graveolens is known as palo santo tree in Spanish. The scientific name of sandalwood tree is santalum and it is known as chandan tree in India.
Sandalwood and palo santo tree height
Sandalwood tree average height is 10 metres, they can grow up to 11 to 16 meters. In comparison to sandalwood, the palo santo tree is taller. They easily grow up to 20 meters in height. The below image shows sandalwood tree leafs and seeds.
Sandalwood and palo santo tree Growing zone
Do you know where does palo santo come from? Well, palo santo is a wild tree native to the peninsula also found in Peru and Venezuela. The tree grows in tropical regions. It grows in the tropical forests of Peru, Venezolana, Panamá Colombia Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, palo santo Atlanta and the Galapagos islands.
Tree uses
Palo santo is widely used in ritual purification. It is also used as a folk medicine for stomach ache. The palo santo tree wood is also used as a sudorific and as a liniment. Similar to palo wood, sandalwood is also used for medicine purposes, cosmetics and religious events.
Similar to sandalwood incense the palo santo incense are also highly demanded in religious activities.
Growing time period
Sandalwood trees grow in 12 to 15 years whereas palo santo tree growing time is 10 to 15 years.
Lifespan of a palo santo tree and sandalwood tree
Palo santo tree life span – 60 to 90 years and up to 200 years.
Sandalwood tree life span – Average 60 to 90 years, up to 200 years.
Sandalwood and palo santo plant price
Sandalwood farming is a high income farming like agarwood farming. The plant price depends on the variety, the average prices are shared below.
Palo santo plant price – Rs 50 to Rs 100.
Sandalwood plant price – Rs 30 to Rs 100.
Sandalwood trees and palo santo prices
Sandalwood and palo santo both are expensive trees in the world. One sandalwood tree weight after 12 to 15 years varies between 180 kg to 250 kg depending on height and growth. A tree produces around 10 kg heartwood and with heart wood price 1 tree price is around Rs 60,000.
While adding heartwood, sapwood, leaves and other bio products the price increases and goes around Rs 80,000 to Rs 1 lakh as per the yield. Palo santo tree price is also big as it is a forest tree rarely cultivated. You can buy palo santo sticks online or may get offline in some places.
I hope after reading till here your doubts are clear and you know both are different trees so you will not ask again is sandalwood and palo santo the same.
Sandalwood vs Palo Santo Tree
If you don’t know what is the difference between palo santo and sandalwood? Is sandalwood and palo santo the same? Then read the content in the box below.
| Sandalwood Trees | Palo Santo Trees |
| Known as chandan tree in Hindi language. | Known as Bursera Graveloens and holy wood. Known as Palo santo in spain. |
| Sticks used to clean negative energy and create a positive atmosphere. | Palo santo sticks are also used to clean energy and create a positive sacred space. |
| A traditional wood worldwide especially in Asian countries like India, Sri Lanka etc. | Grows in the wild forests of Peru, Venezolana, Panamá Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and the Galapagos islands. |
| Tree matures in 12 to 15 years. | Palo tree matures in 10 to 15 years. |
| Need host trees to sustain sandalwoods. | Can sustain independently. |
| Height 11 to 16 metres. | Height 20 meters. |
| Tastes like macadamia, hazelnut or almond. | It tastes like mint and citrus. |
Palo santo tree Sandalwood tree
Palo santo and Sandalwood trees both are high value trees some generic information about these trees given below:
Palo santo tree
Palo santo is also known as holy wood, it is a wild tree with traditional values. The vegetative growth of a palo tree is 3 to 5 years. It produces flowers for 2 months after 5 to 7 years of growth. The palo santo tree flowering stage is important for the tree’s reproductive cycle.
Palo santo seed production begins around 7 to 10 years and the tree needs a stable climate and a nutrient rich soil for better growth. The tree fully matures in 10 to 15 years and reaches an average height of 20 meters.
Tree needs full sunlight, proper drainage rich nutrient soil and consistent moisture level helps tree sustainability during various growth stages. Due to huge palo santo benefits the wood is demanded in most works hence the price is high.
Sandalwood tree
Sandalwood trees are famous and costliest trees in the world, they are cultivated for heartwood. Sandalwood trees need host trees, hosts are those trees that provide food to sandalwood trees through roots. Hence selection of correct host trees are most important in sandalwood farming.
Sandalwood cultivation is one of the most profitable farming and by planting 300 trees in 1 acre farmers can earn around Rs 16 crore.
Conclusion – After reading this post you can easily answer Is sandalwood and palo santo the same or not? This post clearly mentioned that both are two different trees with similar uses so some people get confused.