Tuberose’s reputation for scandal at Versailles comes down to how intensely sensual and heady the flower smells — it was considered, by the standards of the time, too provocative and grown-up a scent for unmarried young women to wear, which is where the whispered association with impropriety comes from.

A Scent Too Bold for Its Era

Tuberose’s thick, creamy, almost narcotic character stood in sharp contrast to the lighter, more demure florals considered appropriate for young women at court. Wearing something so heady and adult-feeling was seen by some as a statement in itself, and stories about young women being warned off it, or judged for wearing it, have been repeated in fragrance history writing ever since, even if the precise details have blurred a little with retelling over the centuries.

A Reputation That Still Lingers

That “too much, too sensual” reputation has never fully left tuberose — it remains one of the more polarising florals in perfume, loved intensely by some and found overwhelming by others, which is a fairly direct echo of exactly the reaction it provoked centuries ago. Our history of perfume guide and guide to fragrance notes cover more of tuberose’s story, part of the complete guide to perfume.