The clove is a spice that holds a unique place in history, representing the dried, unopened flower bud of the evergreen tree Syzygium aromaticum. This intensely aromatic spice drove centuries of global exploration and warfare. The clove’s powerful flavor and high concentration of the compound eugenol made it a prized commodity across ancient trade routes. Its demanding horticultural needs historically confined the tree to a tiny, isolated geographic area.
The Clove Tree’s Essential Growing Conditions
The cultivation of the clove tree is strictly limited by its need for a precise tropical environment, a condition that explains its original scarcity. The trees thrive only in a warm, humid tropical climate, preferring consistent temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (21–29°C). High atmospheric humidity, ideally ranging from 60 to 80 percent, is necessary for the tree to flourish and produce its aromatic buds.
The slow-growing trees also have specific soil requirements, doing best in deep, rich, loamy soil with excellent drainage. Volcanic soil, often found in their native island habitat, provides the fertile foundation and minerals they require. Clove trees are sensitive to environmental stress, suffering leaf drop from drought and experiencing root rot from waterlogging. They are also susceptible to cold, with temperatures dropping below 50°F (10°C) causing significant damage or death to young plants.
Historical Origin: The Spice Islands Monopoly
The true native habitat of the clove tree is the Moluccas, an archipelago in eastern Indonesia historically known as the Spice Islands. Specifically, the trees originated on a handful of volcanic islands, including Ternate, Tidore, Makian, and Bacan. For millennia, the Moluccas were the only place on Earth where the Syzygium aromaticum tree grew.
The spice reached the ancient world through complex trade networks, arriving in China by 200 BCE, where officials used it to freshen their breath for audiences with the emperor. Arab and Indian traders acted as intermediaries, sailing the Indian Ocean and carrying the spice westward, while carefully guarding the secret location of its origin from Europeans. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to discover the source and establish control over the trade in the early 16th century.
Control soon passed to the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the 17th century, who established a ruthless monopoly to maintain exorbitant prices. The Dutch restricted cultivation to a single island, Ambon, and periodically sent expeditions to destroy clove trees on the other Moluccan islands, a practice known as extirpation. This deliberate destruction kept the global supply artificially low for over a century. The monopoly was finally broken in the late 18th century when the French successfully smuggled seedlings to their colonies, most notably to the Indian Ocean islands.
Current Global Production and Distribution
The French smuggling efforts successfully introduced clove cultivation to new tropical regions, permanently ending the Moluccas’ exclusive hold on the spice. Today, the clove tree is grown across a number of equatorial countries that can replicate its demanding climate and soil needs. Indonesia, the country of origin, remains the largest producer of cloves globally, with annual production volumes estimated between 120,000 and 135,000 metric tons.
Despite its vast production, Indonesia consumes a significant majority of its own harvest, primarily using the cloves in the manufacture of kretek, a traditional Indonesian cigarette. While the Maluku Islands continue to grow the spice, the highest yielding regions in the country are now found on the islands of Sulawesi and Java. The second-largest producer today is the island nation of Madagascar, which yields between 25,000 and 30,000 metric tons annually.
Tanzania is also a major source, with production centered on the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba, which became a world-leading producer after the initial spread of the trees. Other important producers that contribute to the global spice market include Sri Lanka and the Comoros Islands. The cultivation also extends to smaller areas in India, such as the coastal and hilly regions of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and Brazil, concentrated in the southern part of Bahia.