Nagesar / Ceylon Iron-Wood
Mesua ferrea
Also known as Indian Rose Chestnut, Cobra's Saffron, Inagas Tree, Ironwood, Mesua, Nagas Tree, Penaga Lili
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Assam & more
- Flowering
- April-November
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Mesua ferrea
- Genus
- Mesua
- Family
- Clusiaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Evergreen forests, near streams
- Distribution
- India, Andaman and Nicobar (India), Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Assam, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya
- Flowering & fruiting
- April-November
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Typical of the Clusiaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower symmetry
- Variable
- Inflorescence
- Variable
- Fruit
- Capsule
Typical of the Clusiaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- नागेसर Nagesar,नाग केसर naga kesar
- Nepali
- नाग केशर Nag keshar
- Bengali
- নাগেশ্বর Nagesar, নাগেশ্বর
- Tamil
- நாக மரம் Nakamaram, புன்னாகம் Punnakam, Nagacuram
- Telugu
- నాగకేసరము Naga-kesaramu, నాగకేశరము, ఉప్ప చెట్టు
- Kannada
- ನಾಗಕೇಸರ Nagakesara, ನಾಗಸಂಪಿಗೆ Nagasampige, ನಾಗಸಂಪಿಗೆ
- Malayalam
- നാഗകേസരം Nagakesaram, Churuli, Nagapoovu
- Marathi
- नागचाफा Nag chafa, नागकेशर Nagkeshar, नागचाफा
- Assamese
- নাহৰ
- Sinhala
- නා
Nagesar in India
This tall evergreen, known as नागेसर Nagesar (Hindi), நாக மரம் Nakamaram (Tamil), నాగకేసరము Naga-kesaramu (Telugu), ನಾಗಕೇಸರ Nagakesara (Kannada), നാഗകേസരം Nagakesaram (Malayalam), नागचाफा Nag chafa (Marathi), is valued both for its timber and its fragrant flowers. Mesua ferrea is found across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Assam, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, typically in moist evergreen forest.
Uses
Its dried flower buds have a long history of traditional Ayurvedic and perfumery use — an attributed traditional use, not a medical claim — and its exceptionally hard, heavy wood has historically been used for construction and railway sleepers.
How to Identify Nagesar
A tall, dense evergreen with narrow, glossy, willow-like leaves that flush a pinkish-red before turning green. Flowers are white with four broad petals and a bold central cluster of golden-yellow stamens, strongly fragrant, followed by a hard woody fruit.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Ceylon Iron-Wood called in different Indian languages?
- नागेसर Nagesar (Hindi); நாக மரம் Nakamaram (Tamil); నాగకేసరము Naga-kesaramu (Telugu); ನಾಗಕೇಸರ Nagakesara (Kannada); നാഗകേസരം Nagakesaram (Malayalam); नागचाफा Nag chafa (Marathi); নাগেশ্বর Nagesar (Bengali).
- Is nagkesar the tree or just the flower?
- Nagkesar usually refers to the dried flower buds specifically, though the name is also used loosely for the whole tree, Mesua ferrea.
- Why was its wood historically prized?
- Its wood is exceptionally hard, heavy and durable, which made it a preferred choice for construction beams and railway sleepers before steel and treated timber became common.
Clusiaceae
Mangosteen/Garcinia family
Nagesar belongs to the Clusiaceae 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 Clusiaceae
View all Clusiaceae →Sources: GBIF — Mesua ferrea (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Mesua ferrea (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)