Cinnamon has been around since ancient times and was always valued for its aromatic flavor.
Cinnamon seems to be a favorite everywhere – it’s even mentioned in the Bible! Even though you might think of it as something only associated with desserts, people have actually found many ways that they use cinnamon throughout history too – including medical ones!
But where does cinnamon come from?
This wonderful spice comes from the internal auburn coat of evergreen cinnamon trees that originate in tropical regions. The tree has dark green leaves which are aromatic as well, and there are two forms available: dried sticks or quills, and ground powder.
There is around 2,5000 species of this plant family member called Cinnamomum; its first cousins include bay leaves and avocado.
In America and Europe people usually use Cassia cinnamomum (a sweeter type with more powerful taste), but it might be different depending on geographical location where you live!
Multiple Health Benefits of Cinnamon
Scientists have found that cinnamon has the potential to inhibit microbial and fungal growth. A 2003 study showed that adding just a few drops of essential oil from cinnamon can prevent bacterial growth for more than 60 days in food like carrots stew. This means it could help with lasting preservation, which is great news!
Not only does this make our healthy foods last longer but also makes them safer as there’s less chance for bacteria or fungus to grow on them.
Cinnamon has been proven to regulate and decrease blood sugar levels in humans and animals.
It also acts as a powerful antioxidant, prevents various diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease etc., enhances mental faculties by increasing brain function; it can be inhaled or chewed like gum for this purpose!
Cinnamon can be an antiseptic and a warming agent, which makes it very useful when you need to treat colds or the flu.
Moreover, cinnamon supports colon health because of its manganese, calcium and fiber content.
Growing your own cinnamon tree
As it is a tropical plant, cinnamon prefers sunny climate and doesn’t like cold. If you are looking to grow your own cinnamon tree in the house or outside, make sure that its soil has sand content which is rich enough for good drainage of water away from roots easily.
You might want to prune this plant regularly or transfer it into bigger pot if growing becomes difficult due to lack of space inside interior setup.
Propagation of your cinnamon tree
Cinnamon trees can be a great addition to your garden. You need the seeds from inside the berry fruits covered with pulp, which you should clean and dry before planting in a nursery right away for around 3 weeks until they germinate.
After 4 months, transfer into small pots that will transplant again outside or bigger containers as we mentioned earlier about its size depending on if it is transferred outdoors or indoors first.
Cinnamon Tree Care
The cinnamon tree requires a little care to be grateful. When it is actively growing, pour the liquid fertilizer every month and prune when its harvest time comes along as well.
Also water regularly because of its tendency for rooting roots all over your house so make sure the temperature doesn’t go below 60 degrees both inside and outside, in order to keep it healthy during its 2 year harvesting period!
In order to boost new stem growth, cut the steams back near the ground. Allow 4 of the shoots to grow for 2 years and trim them so they are straight.
Then gather when they reach a height of 3 meters with a width between 2-5 cm.
When can you gather cinnamon bark from the tree?
There are a few things to keep in mind when harvesting the bark for tanning. First, be sure you wait 2 years before removing any of it from your trees and secondly, do not peel away the rind if they’re still young and immature as this will cause them damage or even death!
Lastly, allow it to dry under an open sky with lots of air circulation so that no mold forms while its being prepared for use.
To get the bark from a full grown wood, cut down to 3 inches and slice it end-to-end without completely cutting into the stem. You can soak some warm water on them if you want their outer covering to come off easier.
After that step is complete take out all of its core as well as inner layers before letting everything dry thoroughly in order for your sticks or quills to be thicker.
Storing Cinnamon
Keep it stored in tight containers in a cool and dry place. Make your home or garden come alive with this amazing plant by delighting friends with a glass of wine seasoned from the tree you grow yourself.