Clove Care

Clove is a dense and handsome evergreen tree that can grow around 20 metres tall. The short bole can be around 25cm in diameter. The plant has been valued as a spice for at least 2,500 years. It is commonly cultivated in the tropics, especially southeastern Asia but also Africa and the Americas, for its dried, unopened flowers and the essential oil derived from them.

Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, Syzygium aromaticum. They are native to the Maluku Islands (or Moluccas) in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice. Cloves are available throughout the year owing to different harvest seasons in different countries. The clove tree is an evergreen that grows up to 8–12 metres (26–39 ft) tall, with large leaves and crimson flowers grouped in terminal clusters. The flower buds initially have a pale hue, gradually turn green, then transition to a bright red when ready for harvest. Cloves are harvested at 1.5–2 centimetres (0.59–0.79 in) long, and consist of a long calyx that terminates in four spreading sepals, and four unopened petals that form a small central ball.