Cardamom is native to India, but it also occurs naturally in Sri Lanka
and is commercially cultivated there as well as in Vietnam, Thailand,
Guatemala and Tanzania. Although cardamom is considered an ancient spice
in Asia and the Middle East, it didn’t make its way to Europe until the
mid-14th century.
Since the plant prefers to maintain “wet feet,” the successful
cultivation of cardamom depends on daily rainfall and temperatures that
remain above 72 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. It is possible to grow
cardamom as an ornamental garden or greenhouse plant in temperate,
frost-free regions of the United States (meaning zones 10 through 12) if
given adequate shade and humidity.
Where it is grown commercially, however, cardamom is quite a
labor-intensive crop. It takes three years before the plant produces
seed pods, which must be harvested entirely by hand over several months
before they fully ripen.
