Allspice house
Allspice house
The climate in the Allspice house is tropical with a temperature between 23 and 25°C and relatively high humidity.
Frangipani (Plumeria) is native to Tropical America and has fragrant flowers that are used to make perfume. Peacock flower or Barbados pride (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) is frequently used as an ornamental in the Tropics. Also Blue Taro (Xanthosoma) is grown as an ornamental, but leaves and storage roots are edible. The entire plant contains a high level of calcium oxalate and must be cooked before eating. The wood of Pockenholz (Guaiacum) has so high density that it will sink in water.
Allspice (Pimenta dioica)
The Allspice tree is native to Central America and the West Indies. It belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, to which also eucalypt and clove are counted.
Leaves of the Allspice have a pleasant aroma of clove oil, but it is the immature, dried fruits that are used as a spice. They taste of clove, nutmeg and cinnamon in combination, which is the reason why it got its English vernacular name Allspice. In Sweden Allspice is often used in stews, such as ”kalops” and in pickled herring.