How to Select Cinnamon Plants

A cinnamon plant is a plant with the scent or the color of cinnamon spice. Cinnamon is a unique culinary spice with a sweet-tangy flavor. Cinnamon lends itself to cooking, especially baking, and warms the kitchen with its fragrance. The rich brown spice is so popular that it lends its name to the color cinnamon. Here are ways to spice up the garden with a cinnamon plant.

Things You'll Need

• Cinnamon geranium
• Cinnamon basil
• Cinnamon fern

Instructions

1. Select a cinnamon scented geranium. Scented geraniums are perennials called pelargoniums. Cinnamon geranium leaves are scented. When they are brushed, they give off a spicy fragrance. In mild climates, plant a cinnamon geranium in well-drained soil and prune heavily to promote dense fragrant foliage. The plant is a perennial in mild climates. It is not winter hardy. Grow a cinnamon geranium as an annual in harsh climates or plant in a container that can be sheltered in winter. A cinnamon geranium can be grown indoors as a small kitchen plant. Just brush its leaves to scent the room.

2. Plant cinnamon basil as a culinary herb. This hearty basil grows two to three feet tall. It thrives in well-drained soil with moderate sun and water. This beautiful basil with small leaves and dark stems is tasty in pasta, fruits and vegetables. The flavor is spicy basil with a touch of cinnamon scent. Basil is often used as a companion plant in gardens to repel aphids, mites and other pests. It grows well among tomato plants. Be sure to pinch off the flowers for full foliage and flavor.

3. 

   Use a cinnamon fern to enhance a damp or boggy spot. The graceful cinnamon fern has fronds up to one foot wide and five feet long. The cinnamon fern likes damp soil and grows in shady to sunny conditions as long as it has enough moisture. This lovely slow-spreading fern has big green fronds and smaller ones which turn rich brown like cinnamon sticks in the midst of the green fronds. This large fern is excellent as a backdrop in a large garden or to contrast with bright flowers and shrubs.

4. 

   Explore various cinnamon vines, trees and shrubs. These are more challenging plants suited to experienced gardeners. The cinnamon trees like cinnamon and cassia are native to Asia as evergreens and grow 30 to 50 feet tall. They are often grown as large shrubs. The cinnamon myrtle is a small tree that is native to Australian rainforests. It grows up to 20 feet tall and has spicy cinnamon-scented leaves. Cinnamon vine, found primarily in the southeastern United States, is a twining vine that can reach over 10 feet in length. Like a morning glory, it can twine and twist around a support for a small garden area. The cinnamon-scented flowers give its name. Settle down with a cinnamon roll and cup of hot tea to leisurely make your cinnamon garden decision.