Similar to green cardamom bushes, brown cardamom plants have long, lance-shaped leaves that grow to about 2m (6ft) in length and rise high above the centre of the plant, giving a dramatic arching & flamboyant shape to the bushes. The black cardamom pods are the fruit of the cardamom plant and grow in small spikes close to the ground. The oval pods are 2.5cm long and have a deep red colour when ripe; the seed casing contains around 40 dark-brown and hard seeds. The dried brown cardamom pods are dark brown and rough with a fibrous outer surface; when you peel back this leathery outer layer, you uncover the small tar-coloured seeds, while releasing a really strong, camphorous aroma. The smoky aroma of brown cardamom comes from the processing of the pods, whereby the picked pods are dried on platforms over a fire with the hot, smoky air from the fire imparting the distinctive lapsang souchongy aroma.