Karonda / Christ's Thorn
Carissa carandas
Also known as Bengal Currants, Jasmine Flowered Carissa
- Habit
- Shrub
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu & more
- Flowering
- March-October
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Carissa carandas
- Genus
- Carissa
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Habitat
- Dry forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia and widespread by cultivation
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat
- Flowering & fruiting
- March-October
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Typical of the Apocynaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
Typical of the Apocynaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- Karonda करौंदा, Karonda,करोंदा karonda
- Nepali
- करौँदा
- Bengali
- করমচা
- Tamil
- களா Kalakkai, களா
- Telugu
- Peddakalavi, వాకకాయ (కరొండ), వాకకాయ
- Kannada
- ಕವಳಿ ಹೂವು ಕವಳಿ ಹೂವು Kavali hoovu, ಕವಳ Kavala, ಕವಳಿಕಾಯಿ Kavalikai ಕರಿಚೆ Kariche
- Malayalam
- Karakka, കാര, Carissa carandas
- Marathi
- karvand
Karonda in India
This thorny shrub, known as Karonda करौंदा (Hindi), களா Kalakkai (Tamil), Peddakalavi (Telugu), ಕವಳಿ ಹೂವು ಕವಳಿ ಹೂವು Kavali hoovu (Kannada), Karakka (Malayalam), karvand (Marathi), is grown both as a living hedge and for its tart fruit. Carissa carandas is found across Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat, both wild and cultivated.
Uses
Its tart, unripe green berries are pickled and made into chutney, while the ripe purple-black fruit is eaten fresh or made into jams and syrups; the thorny branches also make it a popular living security hedge.
How to Identify Karonda
A dense, thorny shrub with paired spines and glossy, oval leaves. Milky sap oozes from cut stems. Star-shaped white, fragrant flowers are followed by oval berries that ripen from white-pink through red to a deep purple-black.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Christ's Thorn called in different Indian languages?
- Karonda करौंदा (Hindi); களா Kalakkai (Tamil); Peddakalavi (Telugu); ಕವಳಿ ಹೂವು ಕವಳಿ ಹೂವು Kavali hoovu (Kannada); Karakka (Malayalam); karvand (Marathi); করমচা (Bengali).
- Is karonda eaten unripe or ripe?
- Both — the tart unripe green fruit is pickled and made into chutney, while the sweeter ripe purple-black fruit is eaten fresh or made into jams and syrups.
- Why is it planted as a hedge?
- Its dense, thorny branches make it an effective living security hedge, in addition to producing edible fruit.
Apocynaceae
Dogbane family
Karonda belongs to the Apocynaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Apocynaceae
View all Apocynaceae →Sources: GBIF — Carissa carandas (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Carissa carandas (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)