Clove, Zanzibar Redhead
Syzygium aromaticum

Family: Myrtaceae

What it is like

Clove, Syzygium aromaticum, is a tropical and evergreen tree growing up to 20 m in height and 30 cm in trunk diameter. It has clusters of bright red flowers located on the ends of branches. The bark is gray. The leaves are large, reddish when young and turn dark green upon maturity. The fruits are oblong, red, and fleshy, containing one or two seeds. Cloves contain essential oil which is used medicinally against pain, nausea, vomiting, internal parasites, chills, headache, toothache, colds, arthritis, rheumatism, and impotence. The flower buds are chewed as breath freshener or as relief from toothache. Further, flower buds are edible, usually dried and used as spies. The essential oil, on the other hand, can also be used as food flavoring. Plants can be grown from fresh seed then transplanted 15 months after sowing.

Syzygium aromaticum is an evergreen Tree growing to 20 m (65ft) by 20 m (65ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10 and is frost tender. The flowers are pollinated by Bees. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid and saline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Height (m): 20

Where it is found

Maritime forests in deep, well-drained sandy, acid loams with a pH as low as 4.5.

E. Asia - Malaysia.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

aromaticum, Africa, Andamans, Asia, Australia, Burma, Cambodia, Central America, China, East Africa, East Timor, Ethiopia, Fiji, Ghana, Grenada, Hawaii, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Reunion, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, USA, West Africa, West Indies.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Flower buds - dried and used as a spice in a variety of foods such as cakes, baked apples and mincemeat. The buds are sometimes chewed after meals. An essential oil obtained from the plant is used as a flavouring in a wide range of foods such as bakery products, chewing gums, ice cream, sauces and candies. Fruit pulp.

Oil: Oil

Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.

Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.

Medicine

Rating: 4

Cloves, and the essential oil contained in them, are often used medicinally. A spicy, warming, stimulant herb, it is strongly antiseptic, relieves pain, controls nausea and vomiting, improves digestion, protects against intestinal parasites, and causes uterine contractions. Cloves are taken internally as a tea in the treatment of internal parasites, stomach upsets, chills and impotence. The flower buds are chewed to freshen the breath or ease the pain of toothache. The essential oil is applied externally in the treatment of toothache, headache, cold, arthritis and rheumatism. It is also useful for treating ulcers, bruises, burns, bronchitis, asthma, minor infections and colic. It is sometimes used to ease nausea Two little-known compounds in clove oil have shown 'strong activity' against bacteria associated with plaque formation and gum disease. Clove oil is very potent and can cause gum irritation, it is advisable to dilute it with equal amounts of vegetable oil. For infants an even milder dilution is required. Use should be avoided during pregnancy, or if with sensitive skin. An infusion of the shoots and the unopened, dried flower buds (cloves) is used for an excitant.

Antiarthritic: Treats arthritis.

Antiasthmatic: Treats asthma.

Antibilious: Corrects the secretions of bile.

Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.

Antiseptic: Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.

Digestive: Aids digestion.

Odontalgic: Treats toothache (temporary measure only) and other problems of the teeth and gums.

Parasiticide: Treats external parasites such as ringworm This should perhaps be joined with Parasiticide in

Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.

Stimulant: Excites or quickens activity of the physiological processes. Faster acting than a tonic but differing from a narcotic in that it does not give a false sense of well-being.

Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.

Other

Rating: 3

Other Uses: Clove oil is extracted by water distillation and mixes well with cinnamon, cedar, lavender, rose and bergamot. Essential oil content in good quality cloves may exceed 15%. The oil is dominated by eugenol (70-85%), eugenol acetate (15%) and beta-caryophyllene (5-12%). Cloves contain about 2% of the triterpene oleanolic acid. It is used in perfumery, as a flavouring and medicinally. The cloves are used in potpourris and pomanders.

Cosmetic: Used to improve the physical appearence of a person.

Essential: Essential oils that are used in perfumery, medicines, paint solvents, insect repellents etc.

Insecticide: Kills insects.

Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.

Parasiticide: Kills external body parasites such as hair lice.

Pot-pourri: Aromatic plants used to impart a pleasant smell to an area. Can this be grouped with incense or essential oil?

Teeth: Plants used to clean and care for the teeth.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

Cloves thrive in lowland humid tropical areas where the temperature is fairly steady, growing best in an island setting at elevations below 300 metres. Notions about the ecological requirements of the clove vary, perhaps because of an underlying dilemma: a climate with a marked dry season promotes flowering, but the tree does not cope at all well with stress. There are two ways out of this dilemma. The first is to choose a climate with a pronounced dry season, but to limit stress by going for deep fertile soils, providing water and shade during the early years. The other way is to choose a wet climate with a short dry season. The best quality cloves for use as a spice are grown in the wetter climates where annual rainfall is in excess of 1,500mm and usually in the range 3,000 - 4,000mm. Requires a light, well-drained soil, requiring some shade, especially when young. Growth can be sustained on poor and acid soils, but waterlogging is very harmful. Requires shelter from the wind. The clove tree is monoecious, flowers are hermaphrodite and self-pollinating. The tree matures between 8-10 years after planting. Clove trees live for more than 100 years, the oldest tree recorded is aged 375 years in Indonesia. Generally, it takes 20-30 years for clove to attain full bearing. Bloom Color: White/Near White(orange, yellow).

Propagating it: Seed - the seed has a short viability of about 2 weeks so should be sown as soon as it is ripe in shady nursery beds, placing the seeds about 25mm deep in the soil. About 70% of the seeds germinate, usually after 1 - 6 weeks. Plant out when they are about 25cm tall. Cuttings of terminal leafy softwood, kept in a frame at high humidity until they have rooted.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 11-12

Growth: Slow

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Bungah cengkeh, Chengkeh, Chingkeh, Choji, Cingkeh, Clavo, Cravo, Ding xiang, Garofano, Gewurznelke, Giroffe, Giroflier, Gvozdika, Kaan ploo, Karabu, Karayampu, Kirambu, Klam pu, Krambu, Kruidnagel, Laung, Lavang, Lavanga, Lavangamuchettu, Lavangamulu, Ley-nyin-bwint, Mkarafuu, Qaranful, Ting hsiang, añcukam, benefundi, bunga cengkeh, caryophylli aetheroleum, caryophylli floris aetheroleum, caryophylli flos, caryophylli flos pulveratus, caryophylli fructus, cavo-aromático, chiodi di garofano, chiodi garofano, choji, choko, chouji, choukou, clavero, clavero giroflé, clavo de olor, clavo, aceite esencial, clavo, aceite esencial de, clavos, clou de girofle, clou de girofle (huile essentielle de), clous de girofle, clove, clove bud, clove bud oil, clove flower bud, clove fruit, clove leaf, clove leaf oil, clove oil, clove stem, clove stem oil, clove tree, clove-tree, cloves, cloves, whole and ground (powdered), clovetree, clove|karambu neti / lamanga, colve, cravo da índia, cravo-da-índia, cravo-das-molucas, cravo-de-doce, cravo-do-reino, cocam, devakusuman, devapuspa, devapu?pa, ding huong, ding xiang, dingxiang, etericno olje cveta dišecega klincevca, eugenia caryophyllata, feuille de giroflier, flores caryophylli, flos caryophylli, fructus caryophylli, garofano essenza, gewürznelke, gewürznelken, gewürznelkenbaum, girofle, giroflier, glove, grampu, griffe de giroflier, gurunful, harilik negipuu, ilava?kam (flower bud), kaan phluu, kaan pluu, kade, kanumfari, karafwu, karampu, karanfal, karanho, karayampoovu, karayanpu, kau-phlu, kirambu, kirambum, kirampu, klincekovcová silica, konofuru, koronfol, krambu, kruidnagelolie, krustnaglinu (naglinkoka ziedu) eteriska ella, kryddnejlika, kryddnejlika, blomma, kyddernellikolje, labanga, lan, lauang, laung, lavang, lavanga, lavangaha, lavangalu, lavangam, lavangamuchettu, lavangamulu, lava?ga (flower bud), laving, lawang, long, mudingxiang, neilikkaöljy, nelgiõli, nelkenöl, nellikeolie, nägelein, oil of clove leaves, olejek eteryczny gozdzikowy, oleum caryophylli, osaragbogo-eze, powdered clove, qaranfal, qaranful, qarnful, qenefil, qerenfil, qoranful, qronfel, quranful, rumân, rung, silice hrebíckovcového kvetu, syzygii flos, szegfüszeg, szegfuszegolaj, tira?i, ud-nuwwar, ulei volatil de cuisoare, vara?kam, árbol del clavo, óleo essencial de cravinho.

Synonyms

Caryophyllus aromaticus L. Eugenia aromatica (L.) Baill. Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb. Eugenia caryop