🌶️ Cardamom

Elettaria cardamomum

spices perennial rhizome

☀️ Sun

partial shade (understory)

💧 Water

high

🗺️ Zones

[10,11]

🧪 Soil pH

5.5-7.0

🪴 Soil Type

rich, moist, well-drained

📏 Spacing

3-6 ft

📐 Height

6-12 ft

⏱️ Maturity

2-3 years to first harvest

Key:🤝 Grows well together❌ Keep apart☀️ Sun needs💧 Water🗺️ Hardiness zone

🤝 Companions (3)

🤝 Banana

Provides canopy shade for cardamom

🤝 Coffee

Both understory crops in same shade conditions; classic tropical polyculture

🤝 Ginger

Same family (Zingiberaceae); shared humidity and shade

⚠️ Keep Apart (2)

⚠️ Mint

Aggressive mint overwhelms young cardamom plants

⚠️ full-sun crops

Cardamom requires shade; direct sun scorches leaves

📝 Growing Notes

Third most expensive spice after saffron and vanilla. Grown under rainforest canopy shade. Hand-harvested , each pod at perfect ripeness. Green cardamom (sweet, floral) vs. black cardamom (smoky, camphoraceous) , different species.

🛒 Buy Seeds & Plants

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Johnny's Selected Seeds Botanical Interests True Leaf Market Burpee Territorial Seed Company

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