Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum)

Family: Lauraceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

Cinnamomum verum or Cinnamon is a small evergreen tree native to Sri Lanka. It is usually 10 to 15 m in height and is a slow-growing plant. The leaves are ovate-oblong in shape, flowers are greenish in colour and are arranged in panicles, and the fruit is a purple drupe containing a single seed. Oil obtained from cinnamon bark is used in dental and pharmaceutical preparations.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Leaves, Bark/Inner Bark

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

flavouring. — The stem bark is used as a flavouring.; A very well-known flavouring, it is used in curries and a wide range of sweet dishes.; Essential oils, obtained from the leaves and the bark, are used as food flavourings in a range of foods including sauces and pickles, baked goods, confectionery and cola-type drinks.; The leaves are often used in cooking to impart a cinnamon flavour.

Habitat & North American Range

Forests in moist, well-drained soils from sea level to 700 metres. (Zone 10)