{"product_id":"elettaria-cardamomum-cardamom-leaf","title":"Elettaria cardamomum – Cardamom Leaf","description":"\u003cp\u003eElettaria cardamomum, sold as Cardamom Leaf or Cardamom Ginger, is a clumping evergreen ginger relative with tall leafy canes. The long glossy green leaves are broad and softly ribbed, and release a warm spicy scent when brushed or crushed. This is the true cardamom of the spice trade, grown here mostly for its foliage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt needs part shade to filtered light, shelter from wind, and rich well drained soil kept consistently moist with plenty of organic matter. It is frost sensitive and should go in a frost free or protected position. Canes extend 40 to 80 centimetres a year. Tropical, subtropical and warm coastal districts from Sydney north suit it best.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUse it as rainforest understorey beneath larger canopy trees, as a soft green filler along shaded paths, in edible and productive gardens, or massed as low screening in a sheltered courtyard. In cooler cities it does well in a pot moved under cover for winter. Few plants give the same lush texture with so little fuss in shade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin:44px 0 16px;\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"font-size:14px;font-weight:500;letter-spacing:1.5px;margin:0 0 8px;padding-top:32px;border-top:1px solid rgba(128,128,128,0.25);text-transform:uppercase;color:currentColor;\"\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 24px;color:currentColor;opacity:0.65;font-size:14px;font-style:italic;\"\u003eAbout Cardamom Leaf\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"border-bottom:1px solid rgba(128,128,128,0.25);padding:18px 0;\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"font-weight:500;cursor:pointer;line-height:1.4;padding-right:12px;font-size:16px;color:currentColor;\"\u003eWhat is Cardamom Leaf?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 0;line-height:1.7;color:currentColor;opacity:0.85;\"\u003eCardamom Leaf is Elettaria cardamomum, the true cardamom plant, a clumping evergreen in the ginger family native to southern India. It sends up leafy canes from a spreading rhizome, with long glossy leaves that smell strongly of cardamom when handled. In Australia it is grown as much for its rainforest foliage as for the spice itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"border-bottom:1px solid rgba(128,128,128,0.25);padding:18px 0;\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"font-weight:500;cursor:pointer;line-height:1.4;padding-right:12px;font-size:16px;color:currentColor;\"\u003eHow big does Elettaria cardamomum grow?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 0;line-height:1.7;color:currentColor;opacity:0.85;\"\u003eCanes reach about 2 to 3 metres tall in good conditions, and the clump widens steadily to around 1 to 2 metres as the rhizome spreads. In cooler or drier positions it stays closer to 1.5 metres. It spreads outwards rather than running, so the clump edge stays where you put it and is easy to divide back.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"border-bottom:1px solid rgba(128,128,128,0.25);padding:18px 0;\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"font-weight:500;cursor:pointer;line-height:1.4;padding-right:12px;font-size:16px;color:currentColor;\"\u003eDoes it need sun or shade?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 0;line-height:1.7;color:currentColor;opacity:0.85;\"\u003ePart shade to filtered light, which is how it grows in habitat beneath forest canopy. Direct hot afternoon sun bleaches and scorches the leaves, and full shade slows it. Morning sun with shade from midday is the ideal. It also wants shelter from wind, which shreds the large leaves and spoils the look of the clump.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"border-bottom:1px solid rgba(128,128,128,0.25);padding:18px 0;\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"font-weight:500;cursor:pointer;line-height:1.4;padding-right:12px;font-size:16px;color:currentColor;\"\u003eIs it frost tolerant?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 0;line-height:1.7;color:currentColor;opacity:0.85;\"\u003eNo. It is frost sensitive and the foliage is damaged by even light frost, so it needs a frost free or well protected position. Under a canopy, against a warm wall or in a courtyard usually provides enough shelter in marginal areas. In cold districts, grow it in a pot and move it under cover before winter.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"border-bottom:1px solid rgba(128,128,128,0.25);padding:18px 0;\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"font-weight:500;cursor:pointer;line-height:1.4;padding-right:12px;font-size:16px;color:currentColor;\"\u003eCan it grow in pots?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 0;line-height:1.7;color:currentColor;opacity:0.85;\"\u003eYes, and this is the usual approach south of the subtropics. Use a wide pot of at least 40 centimetres with a rich, free draining mix, keep it in bright shade, and water often enough that the mix never dries right out. Feed through the warm months and divide the clump when it fills the container.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"border-bottom:1px solid rgba(128,128,128,0.25);padding:18px 0;\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"font-weight:500;cursor:pointer;line-height:1.4;padding-right:12px;font-size:16px;color:currentColor;\"\u003eWill it produce cardamom pods in Australia?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 0;line-height:1.7;color:currentColor;opacity:0.85;\"\u003eOnly in genuinely tropical and warm subtropical gardens, and even there it takes several years and consistent humidity. Small white flowers appear near ground level in summer, and pods follow if conditions suit. Most Australian growers treat pods as a bonus and use the fragrant leaves instead, wrapping food for cooking or steeping them for tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"border-bottom:1px solid rgba(128,128,128,0.25);padding:18px 0;\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"font-weight:500;cursor:pointer;line-height:1.4;padding-right:12px;font-size:16px;color:currentColor;\"\u003eHow do I care for Cardamom Leaf?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 0;line-height:1.7;color:currentColor;opacity:0.85;\"\u003eKeep the soil moist and mulched, and feed monthly through spring and summer with a balanced organic fertiliser. Cut old or tired canes to ground level once they yellow, and the clump renews from the base. Divide every three or four years to keep it vigorous. Protect from wind and frost, and it asks for little else.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Evergreen Trees Direct","offers":[{"title":"30cm\/33cm","offer_id":46565832720583,"sku":null,"price":120.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.evergreentrees.com.au\/products\/elettaria-cardamomum-cardamom-leaf","provider":"Evergreen Trees Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}