Cloves are a spice made from the flower buds of an evergreen tree called, appropriately enough, the clove tree. Clove flower buds are harvested in their immature state and then dried. Cloves can be used whole or ground, and they have a very strong, pungent flavor and aroma.Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, Syzygiumaromaticum. They are native to the Maluku Islands (or Moluccas) in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice. Cloves are available throughout the year due to different harvest seasons in different countries.