Cinnamomum verum Seeds | True Cinnamon
LATIN NAME: Cinnamomum verum
COMMON NAME: True Cinnamon
Plant Profile
True Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) is a small, bushy, evergreen tree in the laurel family. Growth is steadily, plant forming a rounded crown that reaches 5-10 metres. Choose full sun and deep, fertile ground for this plant. In combination, these characteristics make a persuasive case for growing it.
Science & Biotechnology
Seed science, comparative botany and horticultural selection all touch on Cinnamomum verum, a representative of the laurel family with clear practical value. True cinnamon has a genuine and distinguished place in both culinary and historical research. Modern propagation practice has made this species straightforward to raise by ordinary good methods.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, True Cinnamon has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. Ecologically, true cinnamon is a famous tree of Sri Lanka. Cinnamon bark comes from a tree called Cinnamomum verum. Getting it going is easy; keeping it going is easier still.
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
Starting True Cinnamon from seed is simple and satisfying. Sow the seed evenly over the surface and cover lightly, using a loose, well-drained seed compost, and keep it just moist in full sun until the seedlings are well up. 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. It is generous with beginners and their occasional misjudgements.
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