About

The Story behind Lingua Planta

About Us

For a very long time now humans have placed themselves above other species. Relatively new research has shown plants do communicate and are exchanging complex information with each other, with insects, animals, even humans. This is the language of scent; Lingua Planta.

Lingua Planta offers plant lovers a new perspective on greenery with these molecular build perfumes with essential oils that come from nature. A journey of attention has been put into finding the finest aromatics to ensure a high-quality product that is also friendly to earth.

All Lingua Planta products are all hand-blended in the Netherlands, artisinally made with natural essential oils, ecologic where possible and with our love for nature and all things natural in our mind, heart, and noses.

Founder, Lingua Planta

Merle Bergers

Founder Merle Bergers experienced the the inter-connectedness of plants and trees, insects and bigger animals firsthand by growing up in a small forest in the east of the Netherlands. During her studies at the Design Academy Eindhoven she grew more and more fascinated by the possible reality of plant communication.

Nourished through books by the likes of forester ecologist Peter Wohlleben and writer/biologist Robin Wall Kimmerer she went on a journey to dig deep into the matter of plants fragrant messages. Inspired by the volatiles plants use to communicate Lingua Planta has its roots deep down in scientific research but found an aesthetic translation in perfumes.

Merle Bergers is a conceptual designer based in de Bilt, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Projects, Exhibitions & More

2023
Student under master natural perfumer Mandy Aftel
Plant Fever - Lingua Planta - Kunstgewerbemuseum Dresden
Understory - Lingua Planta - Dutch Design Week
What's in a Tear - Museum Jan  

2022
Museum tot Zover - What’s in a Tear in permanent collection
Lingua Planta - Plant Fever - Museum für Gestaltung Zürich
Microbiota to go - Embassy of Food - Dutch Design Week
Nominated for a Dutch Design Award
Hosted workshops - Botanical retreat - Villa Lena with Evalie Wagner 

2021
Museum tot Zover - Dutch Death Design
Lingua Planta - Masterly the Hague
Lingua Planta - Object Rotterdam
Cube Museum - (Re)design death with What’s in a Tear
CID Grand Hornu - Plant Fever with Lingua Planta
London Design Festival - Mycota 

2020
Cube Museum - (Re)design death
CID Grand Hornu - Plant Fever with Lingua Planta
Yksi Eindhoven - DDW exhibition
Participant of Object Rotterdam
Participant in Emergence magazine course -
A deep dive into spiritual ecology 

2019
Object Rotterdam - launched Lingua Planta
Lingua Planta exhibited at gallery Neus
Materia - Barcelona exhibited What’s in a Tear
Scent performances and lecturer Neuhaus -
Nieuwe instituut, Rotterdam
Material Connections - London Design Festival
Dutch Design Week exhibition at Driving Dutch Design
Participant of Driving Dutch Design
Food designer at Foodcurators
Founded studio Merle Bergers 

2018
Graduated cum laude from Design Academy
Minors in textile and ceramics
Dutch Design Week - G18 Graduation show
Dutch Design Week - Agri Meets Design
Participant in Mad International Summer school of Design
Participant of artist residency Made Labs - Syracusa 

2015-2017
Mediamatic lecturer during Biotalks
Internship at Foodcurators - Rotterdam
Tummy Talks - Bochum
Dutch Design Week - Bizarre Sound Creatures
Participant Paris Design Week - Thinking food design
Participant Eat Shit exhibition Salone del Mobile Milan

2010-2013
Living and working in Paris, Milan, London and Tokyo before studying at DAE and graduating with honors.

Crafted with care

Each formula is created using carefully selected natural ingredients, organic or wildcrafted when possible, sustainably and ethically produced and made with mostly renewable resources. Each and every product is vegan and (of course) never tested on animals.

Our formula's are following the IFRA allergen safety guidelines, but if you have any possible allergies, sensitivities or concerns please consult your physician first. Lingua Planta will not be liable for any indirect or consequential damage.

We are constantly on the look-out for suppliers who can offer more transparency, a smaller ecological footprint and better practice to ensure we are on top of our sustainability goals, with a dream to one day know all of the suppliers of our plant materials personally.

For people & planet

All our glass packaging uses a minimum amount of plastic and are fully refillable and/or reusable. Convenient product refill options are coming soon. We would love if you shoot us a message if you have an empty bottle for a refill.

We donate 1% of our online sales to mostly reforestation oriented causes like Utrechts Landschap, One Tree Planted or Treedom. We donate quarterly to whichever goals feels right for the times we live in.

If new, better, kinder production options arise Lingua Planta promises to explore these new discoveries with an open mind. We are always keen to hear your ideas or proposals. Also we like to state that perfume is non-binary. It all comes down to your own preferences.

We care about the planet and we care about you

Our Pledge

We donate 1% of our online sales to mostly reforestation oriented causes like Utrechts Landschap, One Tree Planted or Treedom. We donate quarterly to whichever goals feels right for the times we live in.