Pimento, Allspice
Pimento, Allspice Tree – Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.
Family: MYRTACEAE
Native to Mexico, Central American and the Caribbean
Early Spanish explorers found the tree growing in Jamaica. It was identified in about the year 1509 and is closely related to the Bay Tree and to Cloves.
The tree is called Pimento and the berries Allspice. The cured berries combine the flavour qualities of Cinnamon, Cloves, Pepper and Nutmeg.
Pimento in Grand Cayman (Pimenta dioica):
“This species was at first thought to be solely an introduced cultivated plant until the dead remains of several very large old trees were found in a George Town building site. Later, documents were found in the Cayman Archives that recorded the export of significant amounts of Allspice from the Cayman Islands in the early to mid nineteenth century. It appears that groves of Pimento trees formerly grew in the part of Grand Cayman that is now urban George Town, but all original trees have now disappeared. Meanwhile, a few young trees are now developing from seeds or seedlings brought from Jamaica. However, the evidence suggests that the Allspice tree should be considered indigenous to Grand Cayman.”
George R. Proctor, Flora of the Cayman Islands, 2012, p.406
Tree: to 20 m tall; young branches flattened and 4-angled.
Bark: mottled cream, brown and tan, twisting lumpy surface that peels off in flakes
Leaves: Opposite, glandular dots more or less pellucid, strong aroma of pimento (allspice) when crushed
Flowers: inflorescence – panicle 6-12 cm long, many flowered, petals white, stamens numerous.
Individual flowers sometimes unisexual or apparently so.
Fruit: a fleshy, aromatic, 2-seeded berry, black when ripe.
Seeds: tough seed coat; the seeds lose their viability quickly; germination is more likely when the seeds have passed through the gut of a bird.
The green fruits turn black when ripe. George Town, Grand Cayman, Jan. 15, 2014.
3 Pimento trees on School Road, George Town, Grand Cayman July 21, 2003
Pimento trees on School Road, George Town, Grand Cayman after Hurricane Ivan (Sept. 2004)
Uses: the dried fruits (picked full-size when still green) are used as spice, for flavouring numerous foods. Oil extracted from seeds, leaves, and bark is used to scent cosmetics, foods, and many other things. The wood has various uses. Young saplings are used as walking sticks.
Pimento tree in a garden on South Church St, Grand Cayman, Feb. 6, 2009
Pimento Dram is a Jamaican liqueur with a rum base flavoured with Allspice.
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