Author Topic: Spice trees  (Read 756 times)

TheVeggieProfessor

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Spice trees
« on: May 25, 2023, 01:46:42 PM »
I just planted a curry leaf tree today and smelled some of my friend's lemon bay leaves. Amazing. I know of allspice as well. I've been planning on planting a hedge and was going to go standard and do clusia. But a spice hedge seems pretty fun. Are there any other options?

Daintree

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Re: Spice trees
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2023, 01:59:19 PM »
You could plant cinnamon, then when they get a little tall, wack them down and let the water sprouts come up. Then they will be all shrubby.

It's not really a spice, but wolfberry can make a nice hedge.

Carolyn

Pademelon1

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Re: Spice trees
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2023, 02:27:25 PM »
Some other options might be Backhousia species (Lemon, cinnamon, curry, aniseed myrtles), or Florida natives like Canella or Spicewood

HibachiDrama

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Re: Spice trees
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2023, 01:20:08 AM »
Backhousia isn't very commonly available in the states...  Mail us some seeds? I searched forever before finding a lemon myrtle.

spencerw

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Re: Spice trees
« Reply #4 on: May 27, 2023, 05:13:29 PM »
Clove smells great when in flower. Nutmeg is very hard to find a hermaphrodite here, bay leaf is easy to grow. Bouillon plant is great, makrut lime smells awesome. Don't forget curry leaf berries are very tasty!

Oolie

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Re: Spice trees
« Reply #5 on: May 31, 2023, 12:04:32 AM »
Allspice is such a winner. The whole plant is a nice thing.
Not a spice, but gin berry has a very nice flavor like an alphonse mango, it's a treat.
Have you tried using the berries from the eastern cedar trees? I found them very appealing in stews. It has a light resin that holds up under long cooking, and late additions give pineapple esque fruityness.

tru

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Re: Spice trees
« Reply #6 on: June 02, 2023, 12:14:57 PM »
Allspice is such a winner. The whole plant is a nice thing.
Not a spice, but gin berry has a very nice flavor like an alphonse mango, it's a treat.
Have you tried using the berries from the eastern cedar trees? I found them very appealing in stews. It has a light resin that holds up under long cooking, and late additions give pineapple esque fruityness.

does allspice growth at a sloths pace for you too? I started one from seed and its about 1.5 inch tall after 8 months, 4 super small leaves like only 2cm long if I had to guess
looks healthy, I just feel like I'm doing something wrong

slower than garcinias 😭
« Last Edit: June 02, 2023, 12:17:37 PM by tru »
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Jaboticaba45

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Re: Spice trees
« Reply #7 on: June 02, 2023, 01:00:02 PM »
Allspice is such a winner. The whole plant is a nice thing.
Not a spice, but gin berry has a very nice flavor like an alphonse mango, it's a treat.
Have you tried using the berries from the eastern cedar trees? I found them very appealing in stews. It has a light resin that holds up under long cooking, and late additions give pineapple esque fruityness.

does allspice growth at a sloths pace for you too? I started one from seed and its about 1.5 inch tall after 8 months, 4 super small leaves like only 2cm long if I had to guess
looks healthy, I just feel like I'm doing something wrong

slower than garcinias 😭
Allspice is very easy to grow. Probably just stuck in the seedling stage for you.
Mine is flowering but doesn't set fruits. I believe someone stated that they are diecious?
Anyways you'll mostly use the leaves anyways.

roblack

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Re: Spice trees
« Reply #8 on: June 02, 2023, 02:31:58 PM »
Allspice has been a moderate grower for us. In a pot, and growing into the ground now. It gets a lot of shade, but still does well.

We use the leaves and sticks. Drying out the wood is great for smoking and BBQ. Add dried sticks to smoker box to make stuff on gas grill taste better. Guava wood is good for that as well.

Tortuga

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Re: Spice trees
« Reply #9 on: June 02, 2023, 05:06:48 PM »
Rosemary can be trimmed into hedge form with some work. Same can be said with red bay

Fruitguy

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Re: Spice trees
« Reply #10 on: June 03, 2023, 09:03:03 AM »
I got lucky with my single allspice tree and it produces fruit, although I have heard that they can be dioecious.

I have found the seedlings to be very slow growing during the first year and then take off.

My tree handles pruning well so I think it had good potential as a hedge.



Rispa

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Re: Spice trees
« Reply #11 on: June 05, 2023, 08:52:29 AM »
Spice bush is an awesome native. I have a great testing Virginia Pepper Weed that appeared in my yard. Taste seems to vary by plant though.

Tropheus76

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Re: Spice trees
« Reply #12 on: June 06, 2023, 07:40:55 AM »
All-spice is a great tree. Very slow grower, will survive short freezes. Deer will rub their antlers on it. I have mine in the shade under oak trees. One is a tiny bush from the deer, the other I fenced off and is about 8 foot tall and produces fruit.