Clove
Spice made from flower buds
Why this is trending
Interest in “Clove” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-02-25.
Categorised under Geography & Places, this article fits a familiar pattern. wt.cat.geography.2
At GlyphSignal we surface these trending signals every day—transforming Wikipedia’s vast pageview data into actionable insights about global curiosity.
Key Takeaways
- Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, Syzygium aromaticum ( ).
- Cloves are available throughout the year owing to different harvest seasons across various countries.
- The related English word gillyflower , originally meaning "clove", derives via said Old French girofle and Latin caryophyllon , from the Greek karyophyllon "clove", literally "nut leaf".
- The flower buds initially have a pale hue, gradually turn green, then transition to a bright red when ready for harvest.
- 5–2 centimetres ( 5 ⁄ 8 – 3 ⁄ 4 in) long, and consist of a long calyx that terminates in four spreading sepals, and four unopened petals that form a small central ball.
Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, Syzygium aromaticum (). They are native to the Maluku Islands, or Moluccas, in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring, or fragrance in consumer products, such as toothpaste, soaps, or cosmetics. Cloves are available throughout the year owing to different harvest seasons across various countries.
Etymology
The word clove, first used in English in the 15th century, derives via Middle English clow of gilofer, Anglo-French clowes de gilofre and Old French clou de girofle, from the Latin word clavus "nail". The related English word gillyflower, originally meaning "clove", derives via said Old French girofle and Latin caryophyllon, from the Greek karyophyllon "clove", literally "nut leaf".
Description
The clove tree is an evergreen that grows up to 8–12 metres (26–39 ft) tall, with large leaves and crimson flowers grouped in terminal clusters. The flower buds initially have a pale hue, gradually turn green, then transition to a bright red when ready for harvest. Cloves are harvested at 1.5–2 centimetres (5⁄8–3⁄4 in) long, and consist of a long calyx that terminates in four spreading sepals, and four unopened petals that form a small central ball.
Content sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0
