The Most Famous Tree of All: Little Wonder of Resourcefulness

If asked about the most famous tree of all, one would spontaneously think about some magnificent, majestic, centuries old tree with a captivating “king of the forest” story behind it, but – as it’s often the case – the reality is a little bit more mundane, less spectacular but interesting nonetheless.

*The Old Oak (Le vieux chêne)*, Jacques-Raymond Brascassat

Turns out the most famous tree of all would be the one most of us have not just seen but also smelled at least once in our lives. And despite its quite unassuming appearance, the memory of it is likely to be a strong one for it will be olfactory: the memory of what’s known as “Wunder-Baum” or “The Little Tree” – the world famous car air freshener which may or (most often than not) may not smell of a tree.

*So smelly but still a hot seller, the one and only “Wunder-Baum”*, source: motorblog.com ¹

In fact, it can smell of anything product development teams can think of – with the modern day range of perfumery ingredients available the perfumer, the possibilities are endless.

But things have not always been that way.

Back in 1952, when “The Little Tree” was invented by the Canadian chemist Julius Sämann (who lived in Watertown, New York), it did smell of a tree – and not just any tree – the Canadian forest pine tree Sämann knew all too well for having studied the extraction of its aromatic oil. The appearance of the first cardboard car air freshener Sämann came up with was in fact inspired by (and thus perfectly consistent with) its scent – the clean and refreshing aroma of the evergreen trees originally aimed at covering up the unpleasant scent of spilled milk in a milkman truck who had approached the chemist for a solution.

The rest is history.

A brilliant example of turning a problem into opportunity.

What started as a solution for a local problem in Watertown, New York turned into a global phenomenon. Beside bringing significant economic success to the chemist turned inventor and to the company he founded (Car-Freshner Corporation), “The Little Tree” air freshener set off a whole new lifestyle trend of car air scenting, promoted by marketers, turned into profit by car dealers and eagerly adopted by car owners all over the world.

Car air fresheners have since become a staple car accessory coming in a myriad forms and shapes, from simple variations on “The Little Tree” theme to complex electronic devices integrated to the car design, with everything in between. But “The Little Tree” still thrives in its simple way, and not just as an air freshener but as a global cultural icon.