How to care for your plant

Cinnamon Plants do not handle frost well. Our suggestion is to keep it in a planter inside the home preferably near a window with ample sunlight.  It can be put outside during months when the temperatures remain above 35 degrees.  Young plants are especially susceptible to freezing temperatures.  Water moderately throughout the year but do not over water - do not over-water the pant as it will lead to root rot. 

If you plant the Cinnamon in an area of the country where climate conditions allow for outdoor planting, plant it in an area that provides sun to partial shade.

Protect the tree from hard freezes and prolonged cool weather. A cinnamon tree can survive short mild freezes.

Cinnamon trees are grown for three years and then pruned every other year. The roots will send up a dozen or so shoots called tillering that should be allowed to grow for one year.  The spice is obtained from the inner bark, harvest the woody stems, they will grow back.  The outer bark is removed from the stem and the inner bark yields the Cinnamon. 

FYI

Cinnamon is a difficult plant to propagate, germination does not guarantee survival.  Cinnamon is also susceptible to a variety of insects and especially popular with the white fly.  It is prudent to keep a close eye on plants less than 3 years old to guard against insect damage.

Harvesting Cinnamon

The spice is obtained from the inner bark, harvest the woody stems, they will grow back.  The outer bark is removed from the stem and the inner bark yields the Cinnamon.  To obtain Cinnamon follow these steps:

1. cut the stem/shoots remove the leaves and twigs.

2. Pound the stem/shoot with a mallet to soften the inner bark. 

3. Cut the outer bark of each shoot in long, vertical lines.

4. Remove the inner 0.5 mm of bark in a complete strip from the outer woody portion.  Normally the bark peels from the shoot on its own, if it does not, peel off all of the outer bark and discard. You can also pour about two inches of warm water into a container and soak the peeled stems/shoots. This will help loosen the inner bark and make it easier to peel away.  Score the inner bark of each shoot in a single, vertical line. The inner bark will be brown and gritty. Avoid cutting into inedible the core wood underneath.  Put the tip of the knife under the edge of the score and slide it down the shoot, loosening the edge of the bark. Lift the loosened edge with your fingers and slowly peel the bark from the stem/shoot.

5. Allow the inner bark to dry so it will curl into long rolls called quills.

It is important that the cinnamon be obtained from the stem immediately after cutting, otherwise it will dry and the inner layer will not be possible to be separated from the stem.

Other uses

The wood or dry leaves when added to a fire place gives of a great aroma; when added to the charcoal or wood in barbeques it adds a great flavor to any dish being prepared over an open fire.

The leaves can be steamed to produce Cinnamon Oil.  Cinnamon Oil can also be extracted from the dried cinnamon quills.  The leaves and twigs or inner dried bark are subjected to steam distillation. The leaves yield 1.6 - 1.8 % and the bark 0.5 - 1.00 % oil.

The plant if added to the house will yield a wonderful aroma.  As with any other woody plant, it produces new shoots to replace the limbs that have been harvested.

Herbal Medicine

In Sri Lanka, Herbal (Homeopathic) Doctors recommend the use of cinnamon for a variety of ailments:

1. treating the nervous system. 
2. treating colds bronchitis, and influenza.  Cinnamon oil can be added to a vaporizer to help ameliorate bronchitis; as an additive to the bath water to treat bronchitis, diarrhea, chills, infections, flu,
3. easing menstrual cramps.
4. as an additive to the bath water to treat  rheumatism and arthritis. (also used are cinnamon creams or lotions).
5. Reduction of blood sugar

4-6  inch plant 4.5 inch pot $10.00 @ + shipping

rasika@wueschner.org

(334) 491-0241