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Curry Tree
Fresh leaves from this tree are an indispensable ingredient in Indian cooking. The leaves are almost unknown in the West because they lose most of their flavour when dried. They have a distinct, spicy curry-like flavour and odour.
The tree prefers warm temperatures with full sun to partial shade. It highly ornamental and very successful as a potted specimen tree.
Weed Warning: This tree is the relative of the weedy Orange Scented Jesamine, which is frequently grown as a hedging plant. This tree is less common and is most often grown for its fragrant leaves which are a great addition to curry dishes. The seeds have the potential to spread if eaten and carried by birds. The easy solution to this is to keep the tree in a maintained area and prune out the flowers / seeds annually. While this tree can grow to reach 3-4m, you need only a small specimen to supply you with an abundance of leaves for your Indian dishes.
| Height | Frost tol. | Pollination req'd | Evergreen/Deciduous | Harvest period |
| 2-4 | No | Evergreen | All year round |
We welcome your Tips on Curry Tree. Share Your Tip.
Essentially just an aromatic Murraya species. Full sun, water and fertilise well. Use young leaves and crushed seeds in curries, soup stocks and sauces. Spicy but not hot. Flavour vinegars and salad oils. Great plant. | David White - Newcastle, NSW 28-May-2006
Add a few curry leaves with fried onion and green chillies to a tin of baked beans-great on toast.Great plant we had a5m tree back in South Africa. am desperate to grow one in UK. | Nonia Watts - Newcastle Upon Tyne, ENGLA 31-May-2006
The fruits are purple in colour and are edible. Adults and children enjoy them alike. But be careful! The seeds are reported to be poisonous. | Kamalesh Somaia - Abu Dhabi, UAE 24-Feb-2007
Can make a pesto with young curry leaves. Grind with onion , a green chilli . Finish with lemon juice and salt. | Chitra Divisekera - Mill Park, VIC 25-Apr-2007
I am soon starting plantation of Curry Leaves (Murraya Koenigii) saplings on a commercial scale in my farm at Ghadane, Tal. Bhivandi, Distt. Thane, Maharashtra, about 65 Kms from Mumbai. After that, I will have a lots of new facts to share with you all. | Kamalesh Somaia - Abu Dhabi, UAE 28-Apr-2007
These leaves blended and then boiled with some coconut milk and salt can make a very good drink which clears all toxins from the system. Ayurvedic doctors advices to give this mixture for Heppetitis patients, which clears the yellow eyes and purify lever | Hiranthe Wijeratne - Sydney, NSW 21-Aug-2007
I dont have any Always put them in my curries in South Africa but since emigrating to Canada cant get them! | Doreen Daley - Olds, AB 27-Oct-2007
When growing keep plant protected from winds | Jeremy Tonkin - Melbourne, VIC 14-Dec-2007
They love water in well drained soil protected from wind, quite fast growing in right conditions,good luck. | Kathy Evans - Melbourne, VIC 29-Apr-2009
Curry tree is a wonderful herb, own actions are laxative using leaves extract ( fresh ), boiled milk and leaf can get detoxic action in stomach poison and toxic liver disease, digetive action for stomach has weak digestive action. | Nwe Nwe Lay - Armadale , Western Australia, WA 02-Jun-2009
I grew one in Canberra in a pot, keeping it well protected from frosts. I now have two, growing madly, on the Sunshine Coast. I'm going to use one as a street tree outside my new house in Buderim. | Jennie Booth - Maroochydore, QLD 26-Dec-2009
This is the most invasive tree I have ever seen. I am constantly having to remove sprouting seedlings from around the tree to prevent my entire front yard from being taken over by baby curry trees. | Troy Greensill - Caboolture, QLD 04-Feb-2010
Cut the seeds off as soon as they appear - wil stop invasiveness. | Natasha Thompson - Hastings, VIC 17-Feb-2010
The shiny-black fruits are liked both by children and adults. As revealed by the chemical composition of the fruits, they are very nutritious. The leaves are used as a spice in different curries and impart a very good flavour to the preparations. These fruits have also many medicinal properties | Ivan Harmer - Perth, WA 09-Mar-2010
In a blender mix a handful of Fresh curry leaves 3- 4 pcs garlic take 5 gms of this daily with food for 6 weeks for a significant lowering of yr blood cholesterol | Dr Tissa Jayatileka - Colombo, Sri Lanka, SRL 13-Jun-2010
I have propogated a couple of hundred curry trees and will be looking to sell these to wholesalers in the next few months. I currently have a supply of 5,000 seeds per year but can increase this if the supply for gourmet curry leaves increase in Australia | Sam Santiago - Sydney, NSW 22-Jun-2010
Curry leaves are said to be extremely good eaten raw form (Chopped or pureed)also will reduce blood pressure | Lakshman Jayawardena - Brisbane, QLD 18-Jul-2010
I use the leaf in cooking.I grow my own plant. | Uttara - Saratoga- Ca-usa , CA 28-Sep-2010
I have heard from older people in Pakistan that if you soak four curry leaves in half a glass of water every nite, drink it in morning and eat one leaf for 15days it lowers high blood pressure. | Nasreen Chaudhry - Tucson, AZ 11-Jan-2011
Curry leaves are known for their medicinal value - it lowers blood pressure and cholestrol. Boil a few leaves in water and drink thi 'tea' everyday. | Am - Melbourne, VIC 14-Apr-2011
I am need of curry for 1 ha. | Chandrakant - Akola, MAHAR 23-Apr-2011
Updated: 24th of May, 2010 at 2:52pm © Disclaimer/Privacy/Copyright