abstract the plant material from organically cultivated heteropyxis natalensis (harv.) and cultivated heteromorpha trifoliata (wendl.) eckl. & zey., from zimbabwe were steam distilled for essential oils and their composition compared with those from wild plants. the major components in the oil from the summer of semi-dry cultivated h. natalensis were: 1,8-cineole (20.7-32.1%), linalool (21.7-26.8%), limonene (13.1-16.5%), myrcene (3.7-9.3%) and (z)--ocimene (2.3-12.4%). the wild plant had linalool (26.5%), 1,8-cineole (24.7%) and limonene (13.3%) as major components in the summer and 1,8-cineole (37.2%) and limonene (22.1%) as major components in the winter/dry season. the oil from the fresh cultivated h. trifoliata had sabinene (15.7-30.0%), limonene (9.5-15.7%) and (z)--ocimene (7.1-12.2%), myrcene (8.5-11.1%) and -3-carene (3.6-10.1%) as major components. the oil from the wild semi-dry herb had limonene (15.4%) and sabinene (13.7%) as the main components. the cultivation of indigenous medicinal plants is intended to promote their rational use and conservation. key word index: heteropyxis natalensis heteromorpha trifoliata myrtaceaeapiaceaeorganically cultivated plantsessential oil composition1,8-cineolelinaloollimonenesabinenemyrceneocimene-carene