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Sterculia urens
Also called Indian Tragacanth, Karaya, Mucara, Ghost Tree
Sterculia urens is a medium-sized deciduous tree from India and Indo-China, grown mainly for its gum (karaya gum) rather than as an ornamental. It is hardy in seasonally dry tropical climates and is not a common houseplant.
Sterculia urens is a species of plant in the family Malvaceae. It is native to India and has been introduced into Burma. A small to medium-sized tree with a pale-coloured trunk, it is commonly known as the bhutyā (भुत्या) in Marathi (meaning "ghost tree"), kulu, Indian tragacanth, gum karaya, katira, sterculia gum or kateera gum. The specific name urens refers to the stinging hairs present on the flowers.
The gum karaya is native to the Indian subcontinent, Indo-China and Malesia. It is a common species and grows in deciduous forests, both wet and dry. It is often found on steep, rock-strewn slopes at altitudes between 400 and 800 metres (1,300 and 2,600 ft).
A natural gum known as gum karaya is exuded by the tree when the bark is damaged. This valuable substance is traditionally tapped by cutting or peeling back the bark, or by making deep gashes at the base of the trunk with an axe. Such crude methods of extraction often kill the tree, but it has been found that application of the plant growth regulator ethephon stimulates the production of gum, and when used in carefully controlled amounts, increases gum yield and enhances healing of the wounds.
Large Leaved Star Chestnut · Cape star-chestnut · Panama tree · Sterculia balanghas · Sterculia cinerea · Sterculia cochinchinensis · Hazel sterculia · Spotted Sterculia · Sterculia hypochroa · Sterculia khasiana · Sterculia lanceifolia · Sterculia lanceolata
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Sterculia urens by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
