Rudrakshi / Honey-Fruit Tree
Guazuma ulmifolia
Also known as Bastard Cedar, West-Indian Elm
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- February-September
How to identify Rudrakshi
Identify Rudrakshi by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a tree habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Rough warty fruit capsule (honey-fruit tree).
- Confirm leaf shape: Lanceolate (long, narrow, tapering to a point).
- Confirm flower colour: Yellow-green.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: February-September.
- In India, compare location records such as Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Sterculiaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Rudrakshi.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Guazuma ulmifolia
- Genus
- Guazuma
- Family
- Sterculiaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Native to
- Central America, Java
- Distribution
- Tropical America, Tropical Asia
- Found in India
- Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, West Bengal
- Flowering & fruiting
- February-September
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Lanceolate (long, narrow, tapering to a point)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Rudrakshi itself; the rest are typical of the Sterculiaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellow-greenrecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Panicle
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Rudrakshi itself; the rest are typical of the Sterculiaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- रुद्राक्षी Rudrakshi
- Tamil
- Thenmaram, Thenpuchimaram, Kattu Utharaksham, உத்திராக்சம்
- Telugu
- భద్రాక్శ Bhadraksha, రుద్రాక్శ Rudraksha
- Kannada
- ರುದ್ರಾಕ್ಷಿ Rudrakshi, ರುದ್ರಾಕ್ಷ Rudraksha, ಭದ್ರಾಕ್ಷಿ Bhadrakshi
- Malayalam
- രുദ്രാക്ഷം rudraksham, കാട്ടുരുദ്രാക്ഷം
- Marathi
- रुद्राक्षी Rudrakshi
About Rudrakshi
Honey-Fruit Tree (Guazuma ulmifolia) is a tree in the Sterculiaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and 4 other states. Flowering and fruiting run from February to September.
Uses
It is grown for parts that are eaten, long used in traditional medicine and cut for timber and furniture. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.
Sterculiaceae
Cacao/Cola family
Rudrakshi belongs to the Sterculiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Sterculiaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides