Madame de Pompadour owned three of the twelve examples made, ten of which survived. Plants used Many plant species are used in potpourri. A 2015 study from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew identified 455 species used in potpourri from over 100 families, including algae, fungi, and lichens. A few toxic ingredients have been found in fruits such as Strychnos nux-vomica, the strychnine tree. Plant materials used in potpourri include: Allspice Cedar wood shavings (toxic, a moth repellent) Cinnamon bark and cassia bark, which smells like cinnamon, only less potent Cloves Cypress wood shavings (toxic, another moth repellent) Fennel seed Incense-cedar wood shavings Jasmine flowers and oil Jujube flowers and blooms Juniper wood shavings (toxic, a moth repellent) Lavender leaves and flowers Lemon balm leaves and flowers Lemon peel Marjoram leaves and flowers Mignonette leaves and flowers Mint leaves and flowers Mugwort (toxic, adds a musky note to the mix, another moth repellent) Orange peel Pelargonium leaves from the scented varieties Pinyon pine shavings and cones Rose flowers, hips, or oil Rosemary leaves and flowers Alternative meaning Potpourri is sometimes used as an alternative for medley. References Perfumery