Geru / Willow-Leaf Sweet-Box
Sarcococca saligna
- Habit
- Shrub
- Found in India
- Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu & more
- Flowering
- September-January
How to identify Geru
Identify Geru by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a shrub habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Narrow willow-like leaves.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: September-January.
- In India, compare location records such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir.
- Confirm it sits within the Buxaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Geru.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Sarcococca saligna
- Genus
- Sarcococca
- Family
- Buxaceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Habitat
- Evergreen forests and shola forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- India
- Distribution
- India, Temperate Himalayas, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Sumatra
- Found in India
- Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir
- Flowering & fruiting
- September-January
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Local Names
- Hindi
- Geru, Piruli, Tiliara
- Urdu
- Sheha
About Geru
Willow-Leaf Sweet-Box (Sarcococca saligna) belongs to the Buxaceae family, where it grows as a shrub. In India it has been recorded in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu and 1 other states. It grows in evergreen forests and shola forests. Flowering and fruiting run from September to January.
Buxaceae
Boxwood Family
Geru belongs to the Buxaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Buxaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
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