Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton, commonly known as cardamom, is a pungent, aromatic, herbaceous, evergreen perennial of the ginger family. This plant is native to tropical areas of India, Burma and Sri Lanka. It is commonly found growing in tropical monsoon forests in the Western Ghat Mountains in the Malabar region of SW India where rainfall typically reaches about 150 inches per year. It has been cultivated in a variety of different tropical areas around the world, with naturalization occurring in Tanzania, Vietnam and Central America (Costa Rica, Guatemala).
Cardamom is internationally traded in the form of whole fruits and to a lesser extent as seeds. Cardamom seeds (whole or ground) are frequently used in Indian and Asian cuisines. Fruits have been traded in India for at least 1000 years. Although cardamom is used around the world, its main consumers outside of its native territories are Middle Eastern countries (flavoring added to tea and coffee) and Scandinavia countries (flavoring added to baked goods). German coffee planter Oscar Majus Kloeffer introduced cardamom to cultivation in Guatemala in the early 1900s. India was the world’s largest producer of cardamom from ancient times until about 1980 when Guatemala surpassed India as the largest producer and exporter.
Cardamom is the third most expensive spice by weight behind saffron and vanilla.
This plant should be grown indoors in a heated greenhouse or in a warm shady humid place (hot steamy bathrooms are excellent). Plants will not flower or fruit when grown outdoors in semi-tropical or temperate conditions or indoors in pots. When grown indoors as a foliage plant, place the pot on a big saucer of constantly moist pebbles. Plants may be propagated by rhizome division.
Genus name comes from elettari which is the vernacular name for this plant in Malabar, India.
Specific epithet is a Latinization of the Greek word kardamomom which describes an Indian spice.
Elettaria cardamomum
Elettaria cardamomum comes in a a 27 cm pot and is ca. 120 cm tall
