Clove variety · Botanical type
Siputih
Also known as Siputih clove
Maluku Islands, Indonesia (Ternate region traditionally) · Indigenous growers of Ternate · Pre-colonial, continuously maintained
A white or pale-bud variant historically distinct from darker cloves; possibly a maturity stage or genetic variant. Rarely seen in modern trade; mainly of botanical interest.
Key facts
| Type | Botanical type |
|---|---|
| Origin | Maluku Islands, Indonesia (Ternate region traditionally) |
| Breeder / source | Indigenous growers of Ternate |
| Year released | Pre-colonial, continuously maintained |
| Parentage | Wild or semi-domesticated clove from the Spice Islands |
| Tolerance | Limited information; adapted to Molucca humidity |
| Distinctive features | Reportedly paler buds than standard types; may be a processing or harvest-stage variant rather than a fixed cultivar |
| Grown in | Maluku Islands (Indonesia); essentially a research reference; not grown in India |
| Also known as | Siputih clove |
Figures are indicative, compiled from public agricultural sources (ICAR institutes, State Agricultural Universities, the Spices Board and the National Innovation Foundation) and vary with soil, season and management. Confirm with your local package of practices.
Siputih in detail
Siputih is a pale-leaved local clove type from the Ternate area of North Maluku, Indonesia. It is recorded in botanical surveys of the region's native clove germplasm and is a slower-maturing type with distinctive foliage and only a modest commercial presence.
Origin & story
Siputih is indigenous to the Maluku Islands and is associated with Ternate and surrounding areas, where it has been maintained by local growers over generations. It is documented as one of the local clove accessions identified in botanical surveys of North Maluku Province. Its exact lineage and original selection are not documented in modern research.
How it grows
Siputih grows in North Maluku's volcanic soils under the warm, humid conditions typical of the region. It matures later than the Zanzibar type: Zanzibar can be harvested at around four to five years, while other clove types including Siputih are generally not harvested until about seven years. Selected Siputih trees in trials at Palabuhanratu over 2006-2010 averaged about 93.1 kg of dried buds per tree per year (compared with about 161.8 kg for selected Zanzibar trees in the same trials). The type is less common in commercial cultivation than Zanzibar, which limits data on regional yield variation.
Quality & character
Siputih cloves are morphologically distinctive, with large, yellow or light-green leaves and less dense branching. The flowers are large, yellow, and borne dozens to a cluster. In the Palabuhanratu trials the dried buds gave an essential oil with about 81.05% eugenol, lower than the roughly 88.39% recorded for Zanzibar in the same study.
Why it matters to buyers
Siputih has a minimal presence in standard spice export channels and is encountered mainly through botanical collections and smallholder grower networks in Maluku. Its slower maturity and lower eugenol level relative to Zanzibar reduce its appeal for mass-market use. Interest is largely among researchers working on clove germplasm and growers seeking varietal diversity.
About clove
Clove in India is a crop of forest gardens and homesteads rather than formal plantations, grown almost entirely from local seedlings in the high-rainfall Western Ghats. There are no widely released commercial varieties from ICAR or SAUs, though the Kanniyakumari Clove earned a Geographical Indication in 2019 for its exceptional oil strength. What India…
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