Stats

Lifespan

10-15 yrs

Size

Large

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Tropical rainforest

Range

South Asia

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Toxins

Status

Rare

About

Green cardamom is a tall perennial herb in the ginger family, cultivated for its fragrant seed pods — the world's third most expensive spice by weight after saffron and vanilla. Each pod houses up to 20 tiny seeds whose layered aroma of eucalyptus, citrus, and camphor comes from over 25 volatile compounds.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

• Read on Wikipedia →
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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Liliopsida

Order

Zingiberales

Family

Zingiberaceae

Genus

Elettaria

Species

Elettaria cardamomum