Cinnamomum wilsonii Seeds | Wilson’s Cinnamon

Dark brown Wilson's Cinnamon seeds in a shallow cup on a thickened stalk, on a plain background — Wilson’s Cinnamon (*Cinnamomum wilsonii*): Lauraceae, native to the warm forests of central and western China.

LATIN NAME: Cinnamomum wilsonii

COMMON NAME: Wilson’s Cinnamon

Plant Profile

Wilson’s Cinnamon is an evergreen tree of the laurel family, reaching twenty metres with an upright trunk, a dense crown and opposite, glossy, aromatic leaves that smell of cinnamon when crushed. Its small, pale flowers open in spring in short panicles, and its dark fruits ripen in autumn in a cup.

It grows in the warm forests of central and western China, from Hubei and Sichuan south to Yunnan, where it is one of the aromatic cinnamons used locally for bark and leaf. In Chinese it is chuan gui, the Sichuan cinnamon, and its bark is sold in regional markets.

Science & Biotechnology

Its bark contains cinnamaldehyde and related compounds, and it is used locally as a substitute for cassia, though the quality is considered inferior to the official spice. The leaves yield an oil rich in eugenol and in monoterpenes, which is distilled for flavouring and for use in traditional medicine.

The Chinese cinnamons are a difficult group, and C. wilsonii has been confused in herbaria with C. applanatum and with C. cassia itself; the shape of the fruit cup, the hairiness of the leaves and the arrangement of the stamens are the characters that separate them. Molecular work is gradually clarifying the group, but the names in the spice trade remain unreliable.

Uses & Benefits

The bark is used as a flavouring in cooking and in pickles in Sichuan and Yunnan, and the leaves are distilled for oil. The timber is used for furniture and for light construction, and the tree is planted around villages for shade and for its aromatic foliage.

In a garden it is a tree for a mild, humid climate, grown for its glossy evergreen crown and its scent. It is smaller and more manageable than the true cassia, which makes it a better choice for a garden with limited space. The wood takes a fine polish and is used for furniture and for the boxes in which tea and herbs are stored, since it keeps its scent for years.

Growing from Seed

Sow fresh seed, cleaned of its flesh, in a loose, humus-rich mix at 22 to 26 °C. Germination is quick and usually reliable with fresh seed; stored seed loses viability within a few months, so sow it soon after harvest.

Keep the young plants in a humid, half-shaded frame and move them up a pot size each spring. Plant out in rich, moist, free-draining soil, in sun or light shade, and water well for the first two summers. Protect young trees from frost, and prune lightly to shape the crown while the tree is young. Seedlings benefit from a slow-release fertiliser in their second season, but too much nitrogen makes the wood soft.

Our Take

A regional cinnamon of western China, used for bark and leaf oil rather than for the spice trade. It is a handsome evergreen for a warm garden, and a reminder that cinnamon is a genus, not a single bark.

Tree Seeds