TOMATO
The tomato plant, with its vibrant, green aroma, has long fascinated researchers studying plant intelligence. The sharp, zesty scent of its leaves isn’t just pleasant—it’s a form of communication. Tomato plants, like many others, release specific volatile compounds to signal stress, attract pollinators, or even warn neighboring plants of potential threats. This biochemical complexity was one of the things that first drew me to explore plant scents more deeply.
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I’ve always wanted to create a fragrance inspired by the fresh, leafy smell of a living tomato plant. The challenge was to translate the plant’s distinct greenness into a wearable scent. The living plant's leaves have this uniquely invigorating quality that I wanted to capture in a perfume.
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This project was at the very base of my exploration of how plants use chemistry to interact with the world and how we, as perfumers, can distill those interactions into something that connects us more deeply to nature. However it took 5 years to bring this scent into reality.
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The first batch of TOMAT that we released in September went super quickly and we are preparing a second batch to be released next year.
​​If you want to stay tuned, you can always send me an e-mail at info@merlebergers.nl
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With love,
Merle
“Ripe vegetables were magic to me. Unharvested, the garden bristled with possibility. I would quicken at the sight of a ripe tomato, sounding its redness from deep amidst the undifferentiated green. To lift a bean plant's hood of heartshaped leaves and discover a clutch of long slender pods handing underneath could make me catch my breath."
- Michael Pollan
Further media & inspiration
Tomato stem. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the stem of a tomato plant (Lycopersicon lycopersicum). The glandular hairs, or trichomes, (vertical spines) bear groups of cells (brown spheres) that secrete fragrant oils. Magnification x157 at 6x7cm size.