Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) hails from tropical India, Nepal, and South Asia. What is cardamom? It is a sweet aromatic herb not only employed in cooking but also part of traditional medicine and tea. Cardamom is the third most expensive spice in the world and has a rich history of use in many countries as part of spice blends, such as masala, and as a crucial ingredient in Scandinavian pastries.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Elettaria cardamomum, commonly known as green cardamom or true cardamom, is a herbaceous, perennial plant in the ginger family, native to southern India. It is the most common of the species whose seeds are used as a spice called cardamom that has a sharp, strong, punchy aroma. It is cultivated widely in tropical regions and reportedly naturalized in Réunion, Indochina, and Costa Rica.
Elettaria cardamomum is a pungent, aromatic, herbaceous, perennial plant, growing to about 2–4 m (6 ft 7 in – 13 ft 1 in) in height. The leaves are alternate in two ranks, linear-lanceolate, 40–60 cm (16–24 in) long, with a long pointed tip. The flowers are white to lilac or pale violet, produced in a loose spike 30–60 cm (12–24 in) long. The fruit is a three-sided yellow-green pod 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) long, containing several (15-20) black and brown seeds.
II. Types of Cardamom
Cardamom comes from the ginger family but has two main genus lines: Elettaria and Amomum. Lanxangia is a less commonly cultivated genus, more closely related to the Amomum genus.
- Green cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum): Also called true cardamom, Siam cardamom, or white cardamom, this type is native from India to Malaysia.
- Black cardamom (Amomum subulatum): Also called Indian cardamom, this type is native to Nepal and China.
- Lanxangia tsaoko (formerly Amomum tsaoko): Also called black cardamom, this Chinese and Vietnamese native plant is commonly used in Sichuan cooking.
III. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Cardamom prefers part to full shade. Avoid planting in direct sun. Consider planting under tall trees in tropical conditions akin to its native rainforests.
Temperature and Humidity
When growing cardamom outdoors or indoors, you’ll need to ensure temperatures are above 50°F. When grown indoors as a foliage plant, place the pot on a large saucer of constantly moist pebbles to increase humidity around the plant.
Watering
Mist cardamom frequently with rainwater; water regularly but do not overwater. Cardamom does best in sites where conditions are stable year-round, without much change to the climate, soil moisture, or natural light exposure.
Soil
Cardamom grows best in fertile, loam-based potting compost. If planting in bright, unfiltered light with high humidity, add leaf mold or granulated bark to the soil. Because cardamom needs tropical conditions to produce the optimal amount of fruit, it can thrive exceptionally well under glass. In the garden, it prefers acidic conditions (5.1-5.5 to 6.1-6.5).
Fertilizing
Give the plant organic, high-phosphorus fertilizer twice a month during the growing season. Apply after heavy rain, never before. Supplement with compost once a year.
How to Grow in Pots
Cardamom grows well in pots. Start seeds with very moist soil. Plant them at least 1 inch apart. Each plant needs a pot at least 1 foot deep and 6 inches wide. If you plant multiple seeds in each 6-inch pot, only keep the strongest seedling and remove the others.
Since this plant gets stressed during transplanting, it’s best to grow it in a pot that is 12 to 14 inches wide to accommodate its full growth indoors. Ensure the container has ample drainage holes.
If you live in a climate that gets wintery cold weather, bring the plant inside when temperatures drop to the 60s F. Most people grow the plant in the most humid part of the house, often the bathroom. When grown indoors, the plant rarely grows past 4 feet tall unless grown in a greenhouse.
Pruning
Cardamom doesn’t need pruning, although removing dead or damaged leaves is fine by cutting the withered or old flower stems. Also, if the plant is growing larger than you like, trim it down to a size you prefer.
Propagation
Propagate by dividing the rhizome root structure or by sowing seed. Consider dividing every three years so the rhizome does not overgrow its container or plot.
To divide, here’s how:
- Loosen the soil around the parent plant using a trowel and hand rake.
- Lift the rhizomatous roots from the ground.
- Use a sharp knife or a root saw to separate or split off a rhizome segment with at least four to five leaf shoots.
- Plant the segment elsewhere and replant the parent plant where it was.
How to Grow From Seed
Purchase cardamom designed explicitly for planting, or if you have a mature plant that produces seeds, let the seed pods dry on the plant, then break them open to collect the seeds. Sow them as soon as you collect them from the plant.
Presoak cardamom seeds overnight before planting. Plant the seeds in a warm, partially shady spot in loamy, rich soil. Expect germination to take about 30 to 40 days.
Potting and Repotting
Cardamom gets stressed from transplanting, so it’s best to grow cardamom in the container it will mature in. However, cardamom grows from a rhizome that can grow large and be divided after three to four years.
To transplant a segment of the cardamom rhizome, get a similarly sized container and use moist, loamy soil to repot a piece of the cardamom with several leaf sheaths.
Overwintering
If your plant is kept outdoors during the warm summer temperatures, bring the plant indoors when the temperatures drop between 60 to 70 F. The plant gets stressed in cold temperatures and will die. Bring cardamom plants indoors during the late fall, winter, and early spring, and keep the plants in the most humid part of the house with filtered light. Bathrooms are one of the best spots for cardamom plants.
In the colder months, from October to March, withhold fertilizer—also, water only when the soil is dry. The plant requires humidity, so keep the plant moist by misting, if necessary.
Pests and Diseases
While the cardamom plant is generally free from pests and disease, it may be affected by thrips or cardamom mosaic virus. Aphids spread the virus, so prevent the virus by keeping aphids away with a forceful water spray, insecticidal soap, or neem oil.
III. Uses and Benefits
The green seed pods of the plant are dried and the seeds inside the pod are used in Indian and other Asian cuisines, either whole or ground. It is the most widely cultivated species of cardamom; for other types and uses, see cardamom.
True cardamom may have been used in Ayurveda medicine as early as the 4th century BC. Ground cardamom is an ingredient in many Indian curries and is a primary contributor to the flavor of masala chai. In Iran and India, cardamom is used to flavor coffee and tea.
In addition to its native range, it is grown in Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Central America. In India, the states of Sikkim and Kerala are the main producers of cardamom; they rank highest both in cultivated area and in production.
IV. Harvesting and Storage
The best way to harvest this plant is to hand-pick each seed pod or fruit. Harvest when the seed pod is beginning to split. You also know it’s ready for picking if the seed pod pulls away easily from the plant when you tug at it.
Cardamom is the third most expensive spice by weight, just behind saffron and vanilla.1 There is a long history of trade and consumption for more than 1,000 years. In the early 1900s, German coffee planter Oscar Majus Kloeffer introduced cardamom to Guatemala. Until about 1980, India was the largest producer and exporter of cardamom until Guatemala took the lead.
While cardamom is used around the globe, some of the main consumers are Middle Eastern countries, where the spice is often added to warm beverages, and Scandinavian countries, where it is often added as flavoring to cookies and cakes.
As the primary ingredient in curry powder, cardamom can flavor rice, meat, vegetables, liquors, and ice cream. Guatemala and Mexico now use it to flavor chewing gum. In addition to culinary uses, cardamom is also used in cosmetics and perfumery.
When storing cardamom, prevent air and oxygen exposure by keeping it in airtight containers, such as tight-fitting lids or vacuum-sealed bags. These methods preserve the freshness and potency of cardamom longer. Also, keep cardamom cool and dry, away from sunlight or heat sources.