Baula
Mimusops elengi
Outdoor Plants Difficulty: Easy Air purifying
📖 About this plant
Mimusops elengi (Spanish cherry or ‘Baula’ in Odia, also called Bakul) is a medium evergreen tree of the Sapotaceae family. The tree bears star-shaped cream-yellow flowers that are intensely fragrant — used in garlands and perfumery. Flowers retain their fragrance even when dried, and are traditionally used to flavor chewing tobacco. Fruits are edible yellow ovoid berries. Wood is hard, durable, and used for furniture and construction. Bark, fruits, and flowers are used in Ayurvedic medicine for dental and digestive complaints. The tree is considered sacred and is planted near temples.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
☀️
Light
Full sun to partial shade
💧
Water
Regular; moderately drought-tolerant
💨
Humidity
Moderate
🌡️
Temperature
15-35°C
🪴
Soil
Well-draining loam
🧪
Fertilizer
Compost annually
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- India, Southeast Asia
- 📏 Max height
- 10-15 m
- 📐 Spread
- 5-8 m
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Year-round (cream-yellow star-shaped fragrant flowers)
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Cream-yellow
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Evergreen glossy dark green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- 80+ years
- 📈 Growth rate
- Slow to moderate
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic
- 🌱 Propagation
- Seeds, cuttings
🛡️ Health & Safety
🐾 Pet safe
✅ Non-toxic
Non-toxic
Common issues
- Leaf spot, scale insects, sooty mould
💡 Care tips
- Plant in full sun. Fragrant flowers prized for temple use. Slow-growing but long-lived.
🪴 Add to My Plants
One click — added instantly. Watering every 7 days, fertilizing every 30 days.