Day 5 #AdventBotany – resinous sap of Boswellia sacra (and other related species), from southern Arabia, called Arabia Felix for its providence in having such a valuable plant. Frankincense was arguably the fuel of the first global economy (ca. 500BC-500AD) and the ‘Land of Frankincense’ is now a World Heritage site (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1010). Famed in Christian cultures as the 2nd gift of the Magi to Christ.
![Grade one Omani Frankincense](http://blogs.reading.ac.uk/crg/files/2014/12/5Frankinsense.jpg)
Frankincense is a slow growing tree demanding warmth for good growth.
![Cultivated Boswellia sacra in flower.](http://blogs.reading.ac.uk/crg/files/2014/12/5Boswellia_sacraCC2-1024x768.jpg)
Further reading
To read about the possible health benefits follow this link.
For more on the Herbology Manchester collections see this link.