Holarrhena (Kurchi)
Holarrhena pubescens
📖 About this plant
Holarrhena pubescens, commonly called Kurchi, Conessi Tree, or Tellicherry Bark, is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to the Indian subcontinent and one of the most important medicinal plants in Ayurveda. The plant produces beautiful clusters of white, fragrant flowers in spring, followed by long (15-30 cm) paired follicles that hang from the branches. The plant is a member of the Apocynaceae family (same as oleander and plumeria) and shares the family trait of producing a milky latex sap when cut. The common name “Tellicherry Bark” refers to the city of Thalassery (Tellicherry) in Kerala, which was historically a major trading center for the bark. In Ayurveda, Holarrhena is one of the most important treatments for amoebic dysentery and diarrhea — the bark contains the alkaloid conessine, which has been confirmed by modern research to be effective against Entamoeba histolytica (the amoeba that causes amoebic dysentery). The bark is also used to treat colitis, piles, skin diseases, and fever. Beyond medicinal value, Holarrhena is an attractive ornamental with its spring floral display, large leaves, and decorative paired seed pods. The tree is highly adaptable — it thrives in dry, deciduous forests across India and tolerates drought, poor soils, and brief frost. It is suitable for arid and semi-arid regions where few other ornamental trees survive. The wood is used for furniture and agricultural implements.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun to partial shade
Weekly (drought-tolerant once established)
Moderate (40-70%)
15-38°C
Well-draining loamy soil; tolerates poor soils. pH 6.0-7.5
Balanced NPK or compost 2-3 times per year
🌐 Common Names
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia
- 📏 Max height
- 3-10 m (typically 3-6 m in cultivation)
- 📐 Spread
- 2-4 m
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- March to June (spring in India)
- 🎨 Bloom color
- White fragrant flowers in clusters
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Dark green, large oval leaves 10-25 cm long; deciduous
- ⏳ Lifespan
- 30-50 years
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate — 30-60 cm per year
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Mildly toxic — bark and seeds contain alkaloids used medicinally; keep away from pets and children
- 🌱 Propagation
- Seeds (germinate in 2-4 weeks), stem cuttings
🛡️ Health & Safety
Mildly toxic — bark and seeds contain alkaloids used medicinally; keep away from pets and children
Common issues
- Leaf-eating caterpillars, aphids on new growth, scale insects, leaf spot diseases, powdery mildew, root rot from poor drainage
- overall relatively pest-resistant
💡 Care tips
- Plant in full sun to partial shade with 3-4 m spacing — Holarrhena is a small tree suitable for gardens of all sizes.
- The tree is drought-tolerant once established but produces best with regular watering during the growing season.
- Apply compost or balanced fertilizer 2-3 times per year.
- Prune young trees to develop a strong framework
- mature trees need only light pruning to remove dead wood and shape.
- The tree is deciduous — leaves drop in winter, followed by spring bloom, then new leaves.
- Trees start flowering in 3-4 years from seed.
- Plant Holarrhena as a specimen tree, in mixed borders, or as a medicinal plant in Ayurvedic gardens.
- The tree is suitable for arid and semi-arid regions.
- The white fragrant flowers attract butterflies and bees.
- The paired seed pods are decorative and persist on the tree for months.
- For medicinal use, harvest bark from mature branches (not the main trunk) in spring — dry in shade and use under Ayurvedic guidance for dysentery and digestive disorders.