Clove


Common Name: Clove

 

Botanical Name

Syzygium aromaticum

Family

Myrtaceae

Commercial Part

  • Unopened flower bud
    (Leaves and stalks also yield essential oil)

 

Description

Clove is the air-dried unopened flower bud of a medium-sized evergreen tree.

  • The tree grows up to 10–12 meters in height.
  • It begins flowering in about 7 years after planting.
  • A single tree can continue producing buds for 80 years or more.
  • The buds are harvested by hand when they are fully developed and display a pronounced pink flush, and are then sun-dried over several days.
  • Apart from the buds, the leaves and flower stalks are also used to extract essential oil.

 

Climatic Requirements for Cultivation

  • Climate: Tropical, warm and humid
  • Temperature: 25–35°C
  • Rainfall: Well-distributed above 150 cm annually
  • Humidity: Above 70%
  • Soil: Well-drained, rich loamy soils with sufficient moisture throughout the year
  • Altitude: Grows well from sea level to about 900 meters MSL
  • Shade: Partial shade preferred in early growth stages

 

Origin and Distribution

  • Origin: Indigenous to the North Molucca Islands (Spice Islands) of Indonesia
  • Major Growing Regions Worldwide:
    • Indonesia
    • Zanzibar
    • Madagascar
    • Malaysia
    • Sri Lanka
    • India

 

Major Growing Areas in India

  • Tamil Nadu – Nilgiris, Kanyakumari
  • Kerala – Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki
  • Karnataka – Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru
  • Andaman & Nicobar Islands

 

Popular Varieties

  • Clove is not commonly propagated through named varieties but is multiplied through seeds and grafting.
  • Selections are made based on flower bud size, oil content, and yield.
  • Research centres like ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) have undertaken clonal selection for better performance.

 

Important Uses

Culinary:

  • Used whole or ground in savory and sweet dishes
  • Used in curry powders, masala chai, and pickles
  • Blends well with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom

Medicinal:

  • Acts as a carminative, aromatic, antiseptic, and stimulant
  • Clove oil is widely used in dentistry for toothaches, oral and pharyngeal infections
  • Reported to assist in blood sugar regulation in diabetics

Industrial:

  • Used in toothpastes, mouthwashes, perfumes, soaps, and pharmaceuticals
  • In Indonesia, a major portion of clove production is used for manufacturing ‘kretek’ cigarettes

 

Indian Names of Clove

  • Hindi: Laung
  • Bengali: Lawang
  • Gujarati: Lavang
  • Kannada: Lavanga
  • Malayalam: Grambu
  • Marathi: Luvang
  • Oriya: Labang
  • Punjabi: Laung
  • Sanskrit: Lavanga
  • Tamil: Kirambu, Lavangam
  • Telugu: Lavangalu
  • Urdu: Laung

 

Foreign Names of Clove

  • Arabic: Kabsh, Qarunfil
  • Chinese: Ding xiang
  • French: Clou de girofle
  • German: Nelke
  • Indonesian: Cengkeh