Pimenta dioica (allspice)

Pimenta dioica occurs naturally on hillsides of rainforests in Central America and the Caribbean, and has also been reported from Venezuela.

A tropical, evergreen tree, usually 7-10 m tall, but sometimes reaching 20 m, with a smooth, grey bark. Individual trees are functionally dioecious (plants are either male or female) although individual flowers are structurally hermaphrodite (have male and female parts within the same flower). The small, white flowers are held in compound inflorescences and are followed by green berries that turn purple when ripe.

Dried fruits of the allspice plant      (Image: Brian Arthur, released under the GNU Free Documentation License. All remaining rights reserved)

Allspice is used to flavour a variety of dishes, including meat stews, sausages, pickles, cakes and puddings, and is also added to medicines. It is an important component of pimento dram, a Jamaican alcoholic drink, and liqueurs such as Benedictine and Chartreuse. An essential oil is distilled from the berries and leaves and used in soap, perfumes and aromatherapy.

Allspice is also used in traditional medicine to treat digestive disorders and as a remedy for corns, neuralgia and rheumatism. The oil has antioxidant, bactericidal and fungicidal activity, and is a stimulant and purgative. The wood is used for making walking sticks and umbrella handles.

Allspice can be seen growing in the Palm House at Kew.

Pressed and dried specimens of Pimenta dioica are held in Kew’s Herbarium, where they are available to researchers from around the world, by appointment. The details of one of these, including an image, can be seen online in the Herbarium Catalogue.

Specimens of the fruits, leaves and oil, and several walking sticks made from the wood of Pimenta dioica are held in the Economic Botany Collection in the Sir Joseph Banks Building and are available to researchers by appointment.

Sequencing of some standard regions of DNA for Pimenta dioica has taken place as part of the Phylogeny of Tribe Myrteae (Myrtaceae) project currently underway at Kew. DNA was taken from the allspice plant growing in Kew’s Palm House for this study.

The project is looking at evolutionary relationships within South American fleshy-fruited Myrtaceae, which are important for studies in the family and in South America and also for a much needed re-classification of the tribe.

Search Kew's databases for more information on this species

The eucalyptus family (Myrtaceae)

Kew’s Myrtaceae Science Team

Plant Cultures – curry powder recipe