If you love adding spices to your food, then cinnamon is a must-have in your household. This brown spice has a warm, spicy flavor, making it a wonderful addition to baked goods, curries, and warm beverages. Just adding a pinch of cinnamon can elevate the flavors and aroma. We all have enjoyed cinnamon in one of its many forms, but do we know how it is grown, harvested, and processed? 

In this blog, we will discuss harvesting and processing this popular spice and where you can grow cinnamon. 

Where is Ceylon Cinnamon From? 

Are you wondering where cinnamon sticks come from? Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) is a bushy evergreen tree of the laurel family, and the spice is derived from its bark. It is native to Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), the neighboring Malabar Coast of India, and Myanmar (Burma) and is also cultivated in South America and the West Indies. This spice is also grown in the Malagasy Republic, Seychelles, South America, and the West Indies.

True cinnamon, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, is native to Ceylon (Sri Lanka). The spice’s botanical name derives from the Hebraic and Arabic term amomon, meaning fragrant spice plant. Cinnamon is mentioned in Chinese writings and dates back to 2800 B.C. It is still known as kwai in the Cantonese language today. Some of the most common varieties of cinnamon include Ceylon, Cassia, and Saigon. 

How to Plant Cinnamon

Are you considering cultivating your own cinnamon tree? Cinnamon plants can only thrive outdoors in specific conditions (USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11). The alternative is to keep them as houseplants or outside during warmer seasons. Here are some tips to help you plant cinnamon – 

Planting Cinnamon Outdoors 

To plant cinnamon outdoors, keep the following five steps in mind – 

• Find a sunny spot and plan to plant cinnamon in spring or early fall. 
• Next, dig a one-by-one-foot hole in the plot. Remember, your plot must be at least four-by-four feet for planting cinnamon. 
• Prepare the bed and fill the hole with a loam or potting mix. Use sphagnum peat moss in the mix as cinnamon requires an acidic soil (between pH 4.5 to 5.5). 
• If you are planting a young tree, loosen the root ball, place it in the hole, and cover it with the soil. But if you are using seeds, bury them half an inch before the surface. 
• Lastly, a slow-release fertilizer or compost layer should be applied near the base of the plant to fertilize the bed. 

Planting Cinnamon in Containers

If you want to plant cinnamon in containers, choose a large pot with proper drainage holes. Cover the holes with mesh and place the plot in an area with ample sunlight. 

How to Grow Cinnamon

Once you have planted the spice, you must wonder, “How do I grow cinnamon?” To ensure the cinnamon plant grows properly, ensure the following – 

• Keep the soil moist and add plenty of mulch to the base of the cinnamon tree/plant.
• Protect the tree from cold; don’t let it be outside if the temperature drops below 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Inspect the leaves from time to time and watch for pests and diseases. 

How to Harvest Cinnamon 

It takes two to three years after planting for the cinnamon to develop fully. When a cinnamon tree is around two years old, cultivators coppice, or cut back, the plant to the size of a stump, which causes it to grow like a bush. New shoots that are used to make cinnamon start emerging. Once cut, the shoots are stripped of their bark, the peels are set out to dry in the sun, and the bark naturally curls into quills (sticks). 

If you are growing the tree yourself, take care of the following steps while harvesting the inner bark to ensure the tree doesn’t get damaged – 

• Firstly, remove the tree branches using large pruners or a saw. 
• Cut away the outer bark until you reach the yellow-orange inner bark, which is the new growth.
• Next, peel away the strips of the inner bark until you reach the core, then dry it on a window screen or tray.
• As the cinnamon curls after drying, store the quills in a dry, airtight container. 

Thus, growing a cinnamon plant is easy, provided it gets the right temperature and sunlight. While harvesting the plant, take care of the considerations mentioned above to have perfect cinnamon quills. You can check out our authentic collection if you want to buy high-quality cinnamon rather than grow it yourself. You can also read our guide to learn how to purchase wholesale cinnamon for retail.