Carissa spinarum
Wild karanda or Conkerberry
- Also called Wild karanda, Conkerberry, Bush plum
- Hindi Jangli karonda (जंगली करौंदा)
- Tamil Chirukala / Sirukila (சிறுகளா)
- Marathi Karvanda (करवंद)
- Malayalam Cherumulli (ചെറുമുള്ളി)
Thorny evergreen shrub, usually 1 to 3 m
What it is
Carissa spinarum is a dense, thorny evergreen shrub of the oleander family, with sharp spines and milky sap. Its small leaves are oval and glossy. Clusters of white, sweet-scented, star-shaped flowers are followed by small round berries that ripen from green to purple-black. It grows wild in dry scrub across Africa, South Asia and northern Australia, where it is called conkerberry.
What it's used for
- The ripe berries are eaten fresh, and the unripe ones are pickled.
- Its thorny stems are used for living fences and dead hedges.
- In Indian folk medicine its roots are used for fever and stomach complaints.
Where we plant it
Reforestation in Tamil Nadu, India
Sadhana Forest, Auroville, Tamil Nadu, India
Plant trees in this projectOur partners plant the mix of native species that suits each site and season, so a gift plants trees in the project rather than this one species. Carissa spinarum is one of the species planted there.
More trees planted in Reforestation in Tamil Nadu, India
Cansjera, a native forest climberCansjera rheedei
Shining bush-violetBarleria nitida
Vagai or Siris treeAlbizia lebbeck
Usilai or Krishna sirisAlbizia amara
Chokkalai or Droopy leafAglaia elaeagnoidea
Wild lime or Kattu elumichaiAtalantia monophylla
Korinti, a custard-apple relativePolyalthia korinti
Indian allophylus or TitberryAllophylus cobbe
See all 37 species in Reforestation in Tamil Nadu, India
