Curry Tree
Murraya koenigii
Family: Rutaceae
This is one of the most delicious plants we know. The leaves of curry tree, sometimes referred to as sweet neem, are used in many dishes in the Indian cuisine.
In frost-free areas this can become a tree reaching 20-30’ tall, but most of the time in our region they are shrubs (the frost keeps them from becoming large trees). Plants are evergreen unless the foliage is frozen (which happens in the upper 20s °F).
If plants are frost damged they readily grow back in the spring and can grow extremely fast as soon as the spring warms up. Plants damaged by our cold usually can come back because our frost is brief. Prolonged cold would kill plants but we don’t see that sort of cold in most of our region.
In India, Curry leaves have been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years and are believed to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. The leaves can be boiled into a tonic or ground and used as a stimulant to keep the digestive system working properly and hair and skin healthy. Evidence for its usage can be found in Tamil Literature, between the 1st and 4th century CE, and in Kannada Literature, a few centuries later. In fact, the word ‘curry’ itself owes its origin to the Tamil word kari which is a term used for spicy sauces/gravies in the 16th century.
USES
Curry leaves are best suited for cooked applications such as boiling, steaming, or sautéing. They are commonly incorporated in southern and western Indian cooking and are used similar to bay leaves, although the leaves are edible after they are cooked and do not need to be removed before eating. Curry leaves add a bright flavor to stews, curries, soups, rice dishes, and dals. The leaves are usually stripped from the stem, fried in hot oil or ghee with other spices, and either used as a base for making a dish or poured over an already-made dish for flavor. Curry leaves pair well with lentils, yogurt, coconut milk, aromatics such as onions, garlic, and ginger, mustard seeds, chile peppers, oyster sauce, pea shoots, eggplant, pork, and fish. They will keep up to two weeks when stored fresh in a sealed container in the refrigerator and up to six weeks in the freezer.
The curry leaf plant belongs to the citrus family and it produces small fragrant white flowers that become small, black, berry-like fruits. The fruit is edible, but the seed is poisonous and must be removed prior to use.
GROWING
Curry plants can take full to part sun, but make sure they aren’t roasting in the heat all day in summer in reflective heat. Plant them in a protective microclimate to make them easier to protect from the cold. Foliage gets damaged in the 20s °F, but the plant can come back from cold snaps down into the high teens °F. Plants grow back fast after frost damage, so long as their other needs are being met.
Plant them in amended soil with good drainage.
This plant is in the same family as citrus plants, which means they are tough, but feeding them will make them happier and more productive. Feed February through August with a general purpose organic fertilizer.
Water plants much like you would water a citrus, which is fairly consistently.
Just like citrus plants, curry plants can host the black swallowtail butterfly larvae.