General Information

  • Category- Flower, spice, drug
  • Binomial Name- Syzygium aromaticum
  • Common Names- Eugenia Caryophyllus, laung, caryophyllum
  • Spread- 236-300 inches
  • Height- 312-468 inches
  • Average Production- 4-8 kg of dried buds, after 15 years may give 2 kg per tree
  • Days to Maturity- 2190-2555 days

Environmental Requirements:

  • Soil- Loamy, rich and well drained
  • Soil Moisture- 20%
  • Soil pH- 6.0-7.0
  • Sun Requirements- Partial sun/Full sun
  • Best Time to Plant- Early summer or Spring (February-March)

Tips to Grow Clove:

  1. Arrange good quality of clove seeds.
  2. Soil should be fertile, rich in organic matter and well draining. It should be moist but not waterlogged. Add some compost in the soil prior planting.
  3. Arrange a tray with drainage holes at the bottom and fill it with the soil. In each block of tray simply place the seed on the surface of soil. Cover the tray with plastic wrap to keep high humidity while sprouting.
  4. Germination might take up to about 6 weeks. When seedlings reached 9 inches in height, transfer your seedlings to the pot.
  5. Make sure the seedling is strong enough to survive outside before you transplant it. Once the seedling is 18-24 months, it should be strong enough to transplant.
  6. Water your clove tree weekly, especially in the first 3-4 years. Fertilize your tree with compost in every 6 months. Prune any branches that die or become diseased to keep the plant healthy.
  7. A healthy clove tree will grow flowers after around 5-7 years. The flowers will grow in white at first, and turn pink after around 6 months. Flower buds are collected when the color is crimson red.
  8. The buds are then dried under the sun. The color becomes dark brown. Also the buds loose 70% of weight.
  9. Clove is then graded according to size and quality.

Chemical Constituents of Clove:

  • A volatile oil which contains euginol.
  • Also contains gallotannic acid, oleanolic acid, vanillin and eugenin.
  • The smell of clove is due to methylamyl ketone, a minor constituent of volatile oil.

Uses:

  • As a carminative, flavouring agent and a spice.
  • For the production of clove oil (which is used as antiseptic, flovouring agent and local anaesthetic).
Flowers, Fruits, Spice