Allspice is an aromatic, evergreen, profusely-branched
tree that usually grows 7-10 m tall but occasionally reaches 20 m. The
bole can be up to 30 cm in diameter. Leaves are 7.5-15 cm long, oblong,
leathery and aromatic. Leaves are sometimes used in cooking in somewhat
the same manner as bay leaves. Creamy white flowers are borne in
panicles, bloom from the upper leaf axils in summer. Female flowers
give way to small green fruits which mature to reddish-brown. Fruits,
up to 6 mm long are picked green, dried in the sun and stored, either
powdered or whole, for culinary use. Whole fruits generally have a
longer shelf life than powders and can be ground or crushed fresh when
needed. The tree was used as a spice in the Caribbean before the
arrival of the Europeans. Allspice is a single spice and not a blend of
spices, but it smells enough like a blend (hints of cinnamon, nutmeg,
black pepper and cloves) for the British, who took Jamaica from the
Spanish in 1655, to give it the common name of allspice.
Identification credit: Ashutosh Sharma
Photographed in cultivation at FRLHT (TDU) Garden, Bengaluru.
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The flower labeled Allspice is ...