Syzygium aromaticum (clove, "Chojinoki")

Japanese name: チョウジノキ （丁子木）
Scientific name: Syzygium aromaticum

[Overview]
An evergreen tree 4–7 m tall, sometimes more than 10 m. The flowers, branches and leaves are fragrant.
The leaves are simple and opposite, leathery, elliptic and dark green with a glossy surface. Young leaves are reddish purple.
The flowers form cymes at the branch tips. The calyx is tubular and reddish, with 4 fleshy sepals. The petals fall early, and the many white stamens are conspicuous. The Japanese name is said to derive from the shape of the bud, which resembles the character "丁".
The fruit is oblong-obovate.

[History]
It was used in the Chinese court in the 3rd century BC, was also known in Egypt and Greece, and in Japan survives as one of the treasures of the Shosoin. In Europe, it came to be widely distributed along with pepper and nutmeg after the Age of Discovery.

[Uses]
The flowers are gathered while still in bud and dried to make the spice clove (choji), which has a strong aroma and is used as a seasoning, medicine and fragrance. Clove oil (choji-abura) is extracted from the branches and leaves.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings.

View this page in Japanese (日本語)