🌳

Kendu

Diospyros melanoxylon

Outdoor Plants Difficulty: Easy

📖 About this plant

Diospyros melanoxylon (coromandel ebony or ‘Kendu’/’Tendu’ in Odia, also called Temburini) is a medium deciduous tree of the Ebenaceae family. The tree bears large leaves that are used as wrappers for bidis (Indian hand-rolled cigarettes) — Kendu leaf is one of India’s most valuable non-timber forest products (₹2,000+ crore annually). Wood is hard and used for furniture and agricultural implements. Fruits are edible. The tree is naturally found in dry deciduous forests.

🧑‍🌾 Care requirements

☀️
Light

Full sun

💧
Water

Regular; moderately drought-tolerant

💨
Humidity

Moderate

🌡️
Temperature

15-38°C

🪴
Soil

Well-draining loam

🧪
Fertilizer

Compost annually

🌐 Common Names

HI
Hindi केंदु
BN
Bengali কেন্দু
MR
Marathi केंदू
TE
Telugu కెండు
TA
Tamil கெண்டு
GU
Gujarati કેન્ડુ
UR
Urdu کندو
KN
Kannada ಕೆಂಡು
OR
Odia କେଣ୍ଡୁ
ML
Malayalam കെണ്ടു
PA
Punjabi ਕੇਂਦੂ
AS
Assamese কেণ্ডু

📋 Plant facts

🌍 Origin
Indian Subcontinent
📏 Max height
10-20 m
📐 Spread
4-6 m
🕰️ Bloom time
Spring
🎨 Bloom color
White-yellow
🍃 Foliage color
Green
⏳ Lifespan
40+ years
📈 Growth rate
Moderate
☠️ Toxicity
Non-toxic
🌱 Propagation
Seeds

🛡️ Health & Safety

🐾 Pet safe ✅ Non-toxic

Non-toxic

Common issues

  • Leaf spot
  • caterpillar defoliation

💡 Care tips

  1. Plant in well-draining soil with appropriate light.
  2. Tolerates Indian tropical conditions.
🪴 Add to My Plants One click — added instantly. Watering every 7 days, fertilizing every 30 days.