Clove is a spice that is made by drying the unopened flower buds of the clove tree, after which they are mainly used as a flavour enhancer in African, Asian and Mediterranean cuisines. Other uses include clove cigarettes and anesthesia for dental purposes. Nowadays clove oil is used as an ingredient in anesthesia, however back in the day an entire clove would be put into a sore tooth. Clove trees originate from the rainforest on the moluccas, which are still the biggest producers of cloves in the world. The tree can reach a maximum height of around 12 meters, but will remain small in a plant pot. Due to the tropical rainforest origin of the tree, it prefers a moist soil and is not winter hardy.

Sowing instructions: Spread the seeds over the surface of moist sowing soil, no need to cover the seeds with extra soil. A plastic lid over the container is preferred to keep the soil constantly moist. A germination temperature of 25-30 degrees can be achieved by placing the container in a sunny windowsill or on the radiator. Germination time is approximately 6-8 weeks.

Family: Myrtaceae
Scientific name: Syzygium aromaticum
Common name: Clove tree
Native to: Maluku Islands

Sowing time: All year
Difficulty: Intermediate
Minimum temperature: 12 degrees Celsius