Science · Plants, Natives & Crops
Cinnamon
True or Ceylon cinnamon is grown in warm, humid climates and harvested for its aromatic inner bark. Commercial management commonly uses repeated coppicing, with bark harvested when active growth makes it easier to separate from the wood.
Profile
- Origin
- Sri Lanka
- Growth habit
- Evergreen tree, commonly maintained as multiple coppice shoots
- Climate reference
- Warm, perhumid conditions; PROSEA reports approximately 2000–2500 mm of well-distributed annual rainfall
- Soil
- Well-drained soils; soil characteristics influence bark quality
- Harvest
- Shoots are cut and bark peeled during the wet season when the cambium is active
Water & soil context
- Moisture (VWC)
- No numeric volumetric water content sensor target is provided by the cited sources.
- Salinity tolerance
- Described as susceptible to salinity; no numeric EC threshold is provided.
- Drought tolerance
- The sources emphasize humid growing conditions but do not establish a quantitative drought threshold.
Illustrative monitoring-depth band
6–12 in
Editorial placement example, not a validated optimum or total rooting depth. Confirm the site's root distribution and soil horizons; multiple depths may be needed.
Avoid waterlogged or marshy conditions, which are associated with inferior, bitter bark.
Problems to watch
- Stripe canker and root rots
- Cinnamon butterfly caterpillars and shoot or bark borers
- Leaf miners, scales and leaf diseases
Stress signs
- Vertical strips of dead bark, especially near ground level, associated with stripe canker
- Pink stem encrustations and death of small shoots associated with pink disease
- Leaf scorch following abrupt exposure to stronger outdoor sunlight
Where you'll find it
- Dried bark spice
- Food and beverage flavoring
- Fragrant oils for soaps and candles
More plants, natives & crops
Published botanical and soil references are distinct from GroundWorx product guidance. Moisture thresholds and monitoring depths require site calibration; sources do not establish product performance or diagnose stress.