The spice known as cinnamon originates from the inner bark of trees belonging to the genus Cinnamomum, which are tropical, evergreen members of the laurel family Lauraceae. While these trees are capable of reaching substantial heights in their native environments, the cinnamon you find in your kitchen is the result of carefully managed cultivation practices. The ultimate size of a cinnamon tree is determined largely by whether it is left to grow naturally or is commercially harvested.
Natural Dimensions of Major Cinnamon Varieties
When left undisturbed in their original tropical ecosystems, cinnamon trees can develop into full-sized forest canopy members. The two primary species that yield the world’s cinnamon supply, True Cinnamon and Cassia Cinnamon, display different maximum growth potentials in the wild.
True Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum)
The species Cinnamomum verum, often called True or Ceylon Cinnamon, is native to Sri Lanka and typically grows into a medium-sized tree. A mature, wild specimen can reach a height between 8 and 18 meters (approximately 26 to 59 feet). Its canopy can spread out significantly, sometimes spanning 6 to 12 meters (20 to 40 feet) wide, featuring a stout trunk up to 60 centimeters (two feet) in diameter.
Cassia Cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia)
The other major source of the spice, Cinnamomum cassia, or Chinese Cinnamon, tends to be the taller species when fully mature. Native to southern China, this species is known to grow up to 18 meters (nearly 60 feet) tall in its natural state.
Size Reduction Through Cultivation Practices
Despite their potential to become large forest trees, the vast majority of cinnamon plants on commercial farms are maintained as dense, multi-stemmed shrubs. This size reduction is a direct result of coppicing, a cultivation technique performed specifically for bark harvesting. Coppicing involves regularly cutting the main stems down close to ground level, which encourages the plant to produce numerous young, straight shoots from the base.
This continuous pruning prevents the tree from developing a single, thick trunk and a tall canopy, instead keeping the entire plant at a manageable height of 1.5 to 3 meters (about 5 to 10 feet). The reason for this intervention is that the highest quality cinnamon bark comes from the thin, young shoots, which are easier to work with and yield a finer texture. This method optimizes the quality and quantity of the bark, ensuring a productive, cyclical harvest system.
Growth Rate and Maturation
The timeline for a cinnamon tree’s development involves an initial maturation period followed by a long cycle of regenerative harvesting. After planting, the tree requires a few years to establish a strong root system capable of supporting the continuous removal of its shoots. The first harvest of usable bark typically occurs when the plant is between two and five years old.
Once established, the shoots are harvested every two years, with the rootstock quickly sending up new growth to replace the cut stems. The yield and quality of the cinnamon improve over time, with the plantation reaching its peak productivity after approximately eight to ten years. A cinnamon tree managed through this coppicing system can remain productive for decades, with some rootstocks continuing to yield harvestable bark for up to 50 years.