Clammy Cherry Fruit Plant (Cordia dichotoma)

Clammy Cherry: A Healer’s Delight Wrapped in a Glossy Golden Fruit

Botanical Name: Cordia dichotoma
Common Names: Clammy Cherry, Glue Berry, Gum Berry, Indian Cherry, Lasoda

✦ Introduction to a Lesser-Known Jewel

Gracefully growing in warm tropical and sub-tropical climates, the Clammy Cherry Tree (Cordia dichotoma) is a small-to-medium-sized deciduous tree that blends utility, nutrition, and tradition. Known in different cultures for its sticky fruit pulp and healing potential, this tree is a familiar sight across India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, northern Australia, and parts of the Pacific Islands.

The tree belongs to the Boraginaceae family and carries regional significance in traditional medicine, local diets, and even in oral hygiene practices.

✦ Physical Description and Growth Habit

• Tree Height: Can grow up to 10–15 meters under suitable conditions

• Crown: Broad, with spreading branches and thick foliage

• Leaves: Simple, ovate, with a slightly rough surface

• Flowers: Small, white, mildly fragrant blossoms that appear before fruiting

• Fruit: Ovoid to round, green when unripe, turning translucent yellow or brown as it matures

It’s often the sticky or ‘clammy’ nature of the ripe fruit that gives this tree its curious common name—Clammy Cherry.

✦ Common and Local Names Across Regions

• India: Lasoda (Hindi), Naruvili (Malayalam), Nunna (Telugu), Sileti (Bengali)

• Sri Lanka: Gadu-guda

• Vietnam: Bồ kết bạch hoa

• Australia: Fragrant Manjack

This fruit has crossed linguistic and cultural boundaries, finding a place in both rural cuisines and folk pharmacies.

✦ Edible Uses and Culinary Appeal

• The fruit is edible both raw and cooked, with a flavor reminiscent of pineapple fused with a mild mango tang.

• Unripe fruits are used in pickles and traditional vegetable preparations, especially in rural Indian cooking.

• Ripe fruits, soft and sticky, are eaten fresh or used in desserts, chutneys, and sweet-spiced syrups.

• The fruit is sometimes used as a thickener in indigenous recipes due to its mucilaginous texture.

• In some regions, it is sun-dried and preserved, often sweetened or mixed with spices.

This rare flavor combination—fruity, mild, slightly resinous—makes it a culinary curiosity worth exploring.

✦ Health Benefits and Medicinal Legacy

For centuries, various parts of the Cordia dichotoma tree have been prized for their healing effects. The tree has earned a place in Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani systems of medicine.

• Anthelmintic and purgative in traditional practices

• Soothes sore throats and coughs

• Bark extracts used as diuretics and expectorants

• Fruit paste applied for boils, ulcers, and skin eruptions

• Hepatoprotective properties promote liver health

• Used as a natural pain reliever and mild antidepressant in folk usage

• Helps in fever reduction and stomach ailments

Its natural glue-like pulp is rich in mucilage, which acts as a demulcent, soothing internal linings, especially in respiratory and digestive issues.

✦ Nutritional Composition

Though not widely studied in commercial labs, traditional knowledge and preliminary research show the fruit offers:

• Mucilage content: Soothing for mucous membranes

• Vitamin C: Helps build immunity and fight inflammation

• Iron and trace minerals: Aid in hemoglobin production and metabolism

• Natural sugars and fiber: Offer mild energy and improve digestion

Its natural balance of nutrients supports general wellness, especially in seasonal transitions.

✦ Cultivation and Maintenance

• Bloom to fruiting period: Within 1–2 years from planting

• Sunlight: Prefers full sunlight but adapts to semi-shade

• Soil: Performs well in sandy-loamy to red lateritic soils

• Water needs: Moderate; drought-tolerant once established

• Maintenance level: Medium — occasional pruning and light feeding encourage better fruit set

Because of its resilience and low pest susceptibility, it is suitable for both home gardens and agroforestry borders.

✦ Preservation and Traditional Practices

• Fruits are sun-dried or made into tamarind-style pastes for extended use

• In tribal communities, unripe fruits are boiled, seasoned, and dried to create chewy, tangy snacks

• Bark and leaves are often harvested during the dry season, powdered, and stored for medicinal concoctions

• The fruit is also mashed and used as a natural adhesive, hence the name Glue Berry

In some regions, the tree is planted close to dwellings as a source of food, medicine, and utility, reflecting a harmonious rural lifestyle.

✦ How to Add Clammy Cherry to Your Daily Life

• Pickle the unripe fruits in traditional Indian spices for a tangy addition to meals

• Prepare a gentle decoction with bark or leaves for seasonal cough relief

• Use ripe fruits in smoothies or crush them with honey for a homemade throat tonic

• Add dried slices to your spice box as a culinary or herbal experiment

Its mild sweetness and soothing qualities make it ideal for children, convalescents, and those seeking natural wellness boosters.

Embrace the Multipurpose Wonder from Nature’s Pharmacy

The Clammy Cherry Tree (Cordia dichotoma) is more than just a fruit bearer — it’s a gentle healer, a kitchen companion, and a natural remedy box all in one. Whether you're a culinary explorer, a garden enthusiast, or someone who values plants for their therapeutic charm, this tree brings multiple dimensions to your home.

At Veliyath Gardens, we offer well-nurtured Clammy Cherry plants that thrive in Indian conditions. With each year, the tree matures to gift you with fruits rich in heritage and health — ready to be experienced, shared, and preserved.