Golden translucent Somali olibanum resin tears photographed close up against a black background.
Extreme macro detail of translucent golden Somali olibanum resin showing fine internal texture.
Boswellia frereana tree with green leaves and branching trunk in a rocky dry landscape.
Clear frankincense resin droplets and streams forming naturally on Boswellia bark.
Pale Somali olibanum resin granules held in cupped hands outdoors.
Spoon of Somali olibanum frankincense resin above warm charcoal in an incense burner.
Golden translucent Somali olibanum resin tears photographed close up against a black background.
Extreme macro detail of translucent golden Somali olibanum resin showing fine internal texture.
Boswellia frereana tree with green leaves and branching trunk in a rocky dry landscape.
Clear frankincense resin droplets and streams forming naturally on Boswellia bark.
Pale Somali olibanum resin granules held in cupped hands outdoors.
Spoon of Somali olibanum frankincense resin above warm charcoal in an incense burner.
Golden translucent Somali olibanum resin tears photographed close up against a black background.
Extreme macro detail of translucent golden Somali olibanum resin showing fine internal texture.
Boswellia frereana tree with green leaves and branching trunk in a rocky dry landscape.
Clear frankincense resin droplets and streams forming naturally on Boswellia bark.
Pale Somali olibanum resin granules held in cupped hands outdoors.
Spoon of Somali olibanum frankincense resin above warm charcoal in an incense burner.

Somali Olibanum Resin Boswellia frereana

Northern Somalia • Maydi / Meydi • Traditional Deyreed Harvest

Includes GST Shipping calculated at checkout.

Choose Your Quantity

Quantity
Pure Resin
Verified Provenance
Expertly Curated
Posted from Brisbane
Gold botanical apothecary medallion

Did You Know?

Somali Olibanum Resin

Boswellia frereana

More than 2,400 years ago, Herodotus wrote that frankincense trees were guarded by small snakes in such numbers that harvesters burned aromatic smoke to drive them from the trees before collecting the resin. The story sounds almost mythical, yet venomous saw-scaled vipers are still a recognised danger to frankincense harvesters in northern Somalia today.

Product Highlights

OriginNorthern Somalia
SpeciesBoswellia frereana
GradePremium Maydi
AromaCitrus Resin • Warm Balsam • Dry Wood
HarvestDeyreed • Traditional Tapping
Primary UseAromatic Incense Resin
About Somali Olibanum (Maydi) Why Maydi is botanically distinct and how its golden resin tears form.

Revered in the frankincense trade as the “King of Frankincense,” Somali Olibanum is the raw aromatic resin of Boswellia frereana. Restricted to northern Somalia, this remarkable species grows across rocky slopes, limestone boulders and cliffs, at times clinging directly to vertical rock faces in the coastal mountains.

Known locally as Maydi or Meydi, the resin is harvested during the Deyreed season through careful, repeated tapping. The tree releases a copious milky exudate that dries yellow-gold in the arid air, forming the aromatic tears traded as Maydi.

Botanically distinct from Boswellia sacra, the Omani species behind Hojari, Maydi is a separate frankincense species with its own resin character and cultural identity. Sacred Plants Australia offers it in its natural resin form for controlled aromatic incense use.

Origins & Heritage Deyreed harvesting, Daallo’s limestone escarpments and the ancient incense trade at Xiis.

The Sanaag region of northern Somalia, including the Daallo Mountains and vast limestone escarpments, represents one of the Horn of Africa’s most remarkable incense landscapes. Here, Boswellia frereana grows in rocky, exposed terrain alongside other resin-producing species.

The heritage of Maydi is deeply intertwined with ancient long-distance commerce. At Xiis on the Gulf of Aden, archaeologists have recovered chunks of incense resin alongside Roman amphoras, South Arabian storage jars and Mesopotamian glazed ware, physical evidence of sophisticated trade networks operating through this coast roughly 2,000 years ago.

The Daallo Mountains near Xiis are documented as supporting Boswellia frereana alongside other frankincense- and myrrh-producing species, placing the port within one of northern Somalia’s richest natural incense landscapes.

Stewardship of these trees depends on generational harvesting knowledge. Recorded best practice for Maydi identifies the Deyreed season as the proper harvest window and calls for trees to be tapped for two consecutive years, then rested completely for a full year before harvesting resumes.

Aroma & Incense Experience

TOP NOTES

Citrus Resin

HEART NOTES

Warm Balsam

BASE NOTES

Dry Wood

Heating & Incense Use Five controlled steps for indirect heating and a cleaner aromatic release.
01 START SMALL

Begin with a single small tear or pea-sized fragment. Maydi is exceptionally aromatic; allow the initial notes to fully develop before introducing more.

02 PREPARE THE CHARCOAL

Light a premium charcoal disc within a heat-safe censer. Allow a complete, even layer of white ash to form before proceeding.

03 MODERATE THE HEAT

Place a mica plate over the ashed charcoal. This creates controlled, indirect heat that limits scorching and helps preserve the resin’s delicate volatile aromatic profile.

04 OBSERVE THE MELT

Allow the tear to soften slowly and become glossy as its volatile aromatics are released. The aim is a gradual release rather than blackening or charring; if the resin darkens rapidly or the aroma turns acrid, reduce the heat immediately.

05 BUILD GRADUALLY

Add fresh resin only once the previous tear is completely spent. Overloading the plate smothers the heat source, encourages excess smoke, and degrades the aromatic experience.

Safety & Storage Thermal safety and storage practices that protect the resin’s aromatic integrity.

Thermal Safety: Operate charcoal within a dedicated, heat-safe censer on a stable, non-combustible surface in a well-ventilated space. Never leave lit charcoal or heated resin unattended. Keep away from combustible materials, children and pets. Allow all ash, resin and hardware to cool completely before handling or disposal.

Storage & Integrity: Reseal the packaging immediately after use. Store in a cool, dry environment away from direct sunlight, moisture and competing odours to preserve the resin’s delicate volatile compounds. For aromatic botanical incense use only.

Shipping & Biosecurity Current Australian destination status and international post conditions.
ACT
Available
NSW
Available
NT
Conditions apply A plant import permit applies to dried plant material. Please verify current requirements before ordering. Northern Territory requirements →
QLD
Available
SA
Available
TAS
Conditions apply A Notice of Intention to Import must be lodged at least 24 hours before arrival. Biosecurity inspection applies. Tasmanian requirements →
VIC
Available
WA
Conditions apply Dried plant products are subject to quarantine inspection and must be free from pests and seed. Western Australian requirements →
INTERNATIONAL
Conditions apply Please confirm your destination’s import requirements before ordering. International post is available where permitted. Sacred Plants Australia does not provide phytosanitary certificates.

Biosecurity & Shipping Information →

Last Reviewed: 3 October 2026

Product Images: Photography represents the resin offered. Individual pieces may naturally vary in size, shape, colour and crystallisation.

© 2026 Sacred Plants Australia

Secure Payments

  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • Mastercard
  • PayPal
  • Shop Pay
  • Union Pay
  • Visa
25 g

Recently Viewed