These compounds have been found to be active components of insect pheromones and essential oils.

Again, there are enantiomers of each form that exhibit optical activity, that is, turn the plane of linearly polarized light as it passes through the substance or its solution.

trans-Verbenol is a mountain pine beetle pheromone that attracts insects to a tree.

[1] cis-Verbenol is an aggregation pheromone of Ips typographus[2] and Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins.

[4] There are methods to increase enantiomeric excess (optical purity) of verbenol and to isolate individual enantiomers.