Cinnamomum cassia Seeds | Chinese Cinnamon
LATIN NAME: Cinnamomum cassia
COMMON NAME: Chinese Cinnamon, Cassia
Plant Profile
Chinese Cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) grows as a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family, native to warm woodlands of the east and the southeast Asia, while it has been cultivated for its aromatic bark for thousands of years. Mature plants top out at about Fifteen metres. While it flowers, it feeds a quiet procession of bees and hoverflies. Taken as a whole, it is a plant that repays a little attention many times over.
Science & Biotechnology
Cinnamomum cassia sits in the laurel family, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. The Chinese cinnamon has a real and distinguished place in research. Interest from collectors and breeders has never lapsed, and good seed continues to circulate.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Chinese Cinnamon has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. The Chinese cinnamon is a medium-sized, evergreen tree of warm woodlands, bearing glossy, dark-green, aromatic leaves and small, yellowish flowers, followed by dark-purple berries. Its flowers feed bees and other pollinators, and its dense, evergreen crown gives a fine presence in warm garden and spice plantation, while its aromatic bark is one of the most important spices in the world. To raise the Chinese cinnamon, sow seeds in pots of moist, open soil in a warm, bright place, keep them gently watered, and grow little trees on in the warmth. In later seasons it demands little more than an appreciative eye.
Cinnamon is a spice and a medicine chest: its bark oil and polyphenols are studied for post-meal blood-sugar support, and cassia bark, Rou Gui, is a major warming herb of Chinese medicine. The leaf oil supplies eugenol for dentistry and flavoring.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed of Chinese Cinnamon under ordinary good conditions. Sow evenly over the surface and cover lightly into a loose, well-drained seed compost, water in gently, and keep the sowing in bright light with steady moisture. Once the seedlings have made true leaves, pot them on individually and plant out when they are sturdy and conditions are right.
Our Take
Among the Cinnamomum group, it is one of the more distinctive species in cultivation. What it needs is basic: sun, drainage, and a little patience while it establishes.
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