Kaith / Wood Apple
Limonia acidissima
Also known as Elephant Apple, Curd Fruit, Monkey Fruit
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra & more
- Flowering
- January-May
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Limonia acidissima
- Genus
- Limonia
- Family
- Rutaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Dry deciduous forests, also grown in homesteads
- Habitat type
- Forest, Cultivated
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Java, Indo-China, Malesia
- Found in India
- Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Flowering & fruiting
- January-May
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Alternate
- Type
- Variable
Typical of the Rutaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
Typical of the Rutaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- Kaith कैठ,कबिट kabit,कपित्थ kapitth
- Bengali
- Katbel, কৎ বেল, কতবেল
- Tamil
- விளா, விளா மரம், விளாம்பழம்
- Telugu
- Velaga, వెలగ, లిమోనియా
- Kannada
- ಬೇಲ Bela, ಬೆಳವಲ Belavala, ಬಳುವಲ Balavala, ಬೆಳವಲ
- Malayalam
- വിളാവ്, Limonia acidissima, വിളങ്കായ്
- Marathi
- कवठ Kavath, Kovit, कवठ
- Odia
- କଇଥ
- Sinhala
- දිවුල්
Kaith in India
This thorny tree, known as Kaith कैठ (Hindi), விளா (Tamil), Velaga (Telugu), ಬೇಲ Bela (Kannada), വിളാവ് (Malayalam), कवठ Kavath (Marathi), is grown for its distinctive hard-shelled fruit. Limonia acidissima is found across Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, tolerant of poor, dry soils.
Uses
The ripe fruit's pulp — tart, aromatic and studded with small seeds — is scooped out and eaten fresh, blended into a cooling sherbet, or made into chutney; the hard shell must be cracked open, as it doesn't soften like most fruit.
How to Identify Kaith
A thorny, deciduous tree with pinnate leaves, aromatic when crushed. Small, dull red flowers are inconspicuous, followed by the tree's unmistakable fruit: a round, hard, woody-shelled berry that stays green-grey even when ripe, requiring cracking open to reach the pulp inside.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Wood Apple called in different Indian languages?
- Kaith कैठ (Hindi); விளா (Tamil); Velaga (Telugu); ಬೇಲ Bela (Kannada); വിളാവ് (Malayalam); कवठ Kavath (Marathi); Katbel (Bengali); କଇଥ (Odia).
- How do you know when wood apple is ripe?
- Unlike most fruit, its hard shell doesn't soften or change colour much — ripeness is usually judged by a slight give when pressed, or simply by cracking one open to check the pulp.
- Is wood apple related to citrus?
- Yes — it belongs to the citrus family (Rutaceae), though its hard-shelled fruit and preparation are very different from oranges or lemons.
Rutaceae
Citrus/Rue family
Kaith belongs to the Rutaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Rutaceae family →Snap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Rutaceae
View all Rutaceae →Sources: GBIF — Limonia acidissima (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Limonia acidissima (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)