Forgotten Plants - New world and old world fusion
New Mexican plants, charged with sun.
Our Family Distillation Project – Forgotten Plants
Our family operation, Forgotten Plants, began formally in 2024. We harvest and distill native and wild aromatic plants that are emblematic of New Mexico. We’ve put down roots on a 3-acre plot of land in Northern New Mexico, nestled in a lush farming valley and irrigated by one of the oldest traditional water systems in the region—the acequia.
We are European-born, having lived in Austria, France, and the UK. Cathy ran a herbal farm in rural France for many years, cultivating and distilling over 20 species of aromatic plants. She created macerations and essential oils that reflected the land and tradition the runs deep in France.
Our European heritage informs the vision behind our distillations and as a family, we each bring unique expertise to the project.
Florian is an Ivy League–trained M.D. with a background in brain research, aromatics, and biochemistry.
Cathy is a certified herbalist and aromatherapist with over 15 years of professional experience.
And Jah holds a Master of Science in Botany and a Bachelor’s in Environmental Management.
Together, we are committed to crafting small-batch, artisan distillations of the highest quality we can achieve in an ethical and conscious manner. Sharing the beauty of many of these unknown New-Mexican aromatics.
Artisanal Aromatic Oils. Handcrafted with Care
Our Distillation Setup
Our 280-liter stainless steel still is simple in design but incredibly effective. Steam is generated by direct heat applied to the steel drum. A riser system allows for true steam distillation, which is our preferred method of extraction. We also have the ability to perform hydrodistillation for certain plants when recommended.
The condenser is connected to a 350-gallon water catchment tank, which provides consistent cooling for long, slow distillations—often running well beyond 12 hours. Given that New Mexico suffers from droughts, every drop of water we use comes from a 500-gallon rainwater catchment system. This water is filtered down to 2 microns, ensuring it’s clean, odorless, and free from contaminants.
Jah carries out most of our distillations. Having previously worked on smaller copper stills, he’s found that distilling at high altitude—where steam is produced at around 98°C—and using low-pressure, slow steam techniques leads to oils with much greater fidelity to the raw plant material. Burnt or “still” notes have been dramatically reduced with this setup.
We’re planning to add an external steam generator soon to allow for precise control of pressure and flow—especially useful for wood distillations.
Supporting Artisanship, Rooted in Land
Forgotten Plants is about more than essential oils—it’s about honoring underrepresented botanicals of the Southwest and sustaining rural life through meaningful, land-based work.
By blending old-world expertise with local traditions, we bring these New-Mexican plants into a the spotlight and help create a new story around their ecosystems and scents.
Supporting us means standing with small-scale, place-based craftsmanship rooted in care, ecology, and cultural fusion.
