Growing a cinnamon tree indoors allows for the cultivation of a tropical plant and the potential harvest of aromatic spice. The spice is the tree’s inner bark, which is peeled away to produce the familiar quills. While these evergreen trees are native to warm, humid regions, specialized care allows them to thrive inside a home environment. Success depends on recreating the conditions of their natural habitat, requiring consistent effort and patience.
Selecting the Cinnamon Variety and Starting Method
The preferred species for indoor cultivation is Cinnamomum verum, also known as Ceylon cinnamon or true cinnamon. This variety is more manageable in size than Cinnamomum cassia, tending to grow as a smaller bush when contained in a pot. Its bark is also superior in flavor and texture for culinary use, producing delicate, thin quills.
Most home growers should begin with a young nursery plant or a rooted cutting rather than attempting to grow from seed. Starting cinnamon from seed is lengthy and often unreliable, requiring specific conditions for germination and a much longer wait before the plant reaches a harvestable size. A cutting or young plant provides an immediate head start, increasing the likelihood of success for an indoor grower.
When acquiring a plant, select a healthy specimen with glossy, undamaged leaves and a robust root system, avoiding signs of pests or disease. Ensuring the variety is Cinnamomum verum is important, as the plant will require several years of growth before any bark can be harvested.
Creating the Ideal Indoor Environment
Cinnamon trees are tropical plants that require specific environmental conditions to flourish inside a home setting. Providing adequate light is a challenge, as these trees naturally thrive under several hours of direct, intense sunlight daily. Positioning the plant in a window with a southern exposure is often necessary to provide the required six to eight hours of bright light.
If natural light is insufficient, supplement with a full-spectrum LED grow light for 12 to 14 hours daily to mimic tropical sun exposure. Warm temperatures are required, with an ideal range falling between 60°F and 80°F. Keep the plant away from cold drafts and shielded from the dry, direct heat of household vents, which can stress the foliage.
Maintaining high humidity is equally important, reflecting the tree’s native rainforest environment. Low indoor humidity can lead to browning leaf tips and increased susceptibility to pests like spider mites. Placing the container on a pebble tray filled with water, using a room humidifier nearby, or regularly misting the leaves helps create the necessary elevated moisture microclimate.
Ongoing Care and Maintenance
Selecting the proper potting medium is important for the long-term health of an indoor cinnamon tree. The soil must be rich in organic matter but highly porous to ensure excellent drainage, preventing the root rot to which tropical plants are susceptible. A mixture of commercial potting soil amended with coarse sand, perlite, or orchid bark creates the slightly acidic, well-draining environment the roots prefer.
Consistent moisture is necessary, but the soil should never be waterlogged. Allow the top one to two inches of soil to dry out completely before watering thoroughly until water flows from the drainage holes. Repot the tree every two years, or when the roots begin to circle the container, moving it to a pot only slightly larger to avoid over-saturating the soil.
Cinnamon trees are heavy feeders during their active growing season, which runs from spring through fall. Apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the beginning of the season or a liquid fertilizer monthly to provide necessary nutrients. The fertilizer should contain a higher proportion of nitrogen to support the development of healthy foliage and vegetative growth.
Pruning is a deliberate practice for indoor cinnamon, necessary to produce stems for harvest. The tree should be regularly pruned to maintain a manageable size and encourage a bushy habit with multiple vertical stems. This process, known as coppicing, stimulates the production of young, straight shoots that yield the best quality bark for quills.
Harvesting the Bark
The goal of growing a cinnamon tree indoors is the harvest, which requires patience until the tree is mature enough to produce bark. Harvesting should begin only after the tree is at least two to three years old, and its stems have reached a diameter between 1.2 and 5 centimeters. This thickness is typically achieved on the young vertical shoots encouraged through proper pruning.
The process involves cutting down a selected stem close to the base of the plant, which encourages new shoots to sprout from the stump. After the shoot is removed, the rough, gray-brown outer bark must be carefully scraped away to reveal the yellowish, aromatic inner layer beneath. This inner layer, called the liber, is the actual cinnamon spice and is peeled off in thin strips using a sharp knife or specialized tool.
The ideal time to harvest is when the bark is flexible and easy to peel, often corresponding to high humidity or immediately following a thorough watering. The thin strips are then placed in a single layer to dry in a cool, shaded area with good air circulation. As the strips dry, they naturally curl inward into the characteristic cinnamon quills, a process that can take several days to a week.