Cardamom is a member of the ginger family. It grows best in the shade and the average cardamom plant lives seven years. It generally starts to bear fruit two to three years after planting and produces 10 to 20 cardamom seeds in each seedpod. Normally, it is harvested from September - February. Most cardamom is sold to the spice market.

The essential oil comes from the cardamom seeds inside the seedpods. The outer shell of the pod is green, thin, and papery. Inside are the seeds, which are small and black. They are dried for about 36 hours before being sold—either as a spice or for distillation. After drying, the cardamom pods are only a fifth of their fresh weight. The seeds are then steam-distilled for several hours to produce the essential oil.