What is gum karaya used for?

It's a natural thickener and stabiliser widely used in food processing, textiles, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, tapped directly from cuts in the tree's bark.

Why does the bark look so pale?

Its thin, papery outer bark peels away in flakes, revealing a smooth, pale under-layer that gives the trunk a distinctive whitish appearance, especially visible in the dry season.

✿Sterculiaceae · Sterculia

Kulu / Kateera-Gum

Sterculia urens

Also known as Katira, Sterculia Gum, Gum Karaya

Tree

Habit: Tree
Found in India: Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh & more
Flowering: October-May

Identify this plant with SASYA

How to identify Kulu

Identify Kulu 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: Peeling papery bark yielding edible gum (gum karaya).
Confirm leaf arrangement: Alternate.
Confirm leaf type: Simple.
Confirm flower colour: Yellow-green.
In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: October-May.
In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and nearby regions.

Plant Details

Scientific name: Sterculia urens
Genus: Sterculia
Family: Sterculiaceae
Habit: Tree
Habitat: Moist and dry deciduous forests, also scrub forests
Habitat type: Forest, Scrub
Native to: India
Distribution: India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Malaysia
Found in India: Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Haryana, Uttarakhand
Flowering & fruiting: October-May
Conservation status: Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf arrangement: AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.“The leaves are alternate, simple, hairy beneath and have three to five palmate lobes.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf type: SimplerecordedA single, undivided leaf blade.“The leaves are alternate, simple, hairy beneath and have three to five palmate lobes.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf shape: Elliptic (widest at middle)recorded
Leaf margin: LobedrecordedThe edge is divided into rounded or pointed sections that don't reach the midrib.“The leaves are alternate, simple, hairy beneath and have three to five palmate lobes.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf surface: PubescentrecordedCovered in short, soft hairs.“The leaves are alternate, simple, hairy beneath and have three to five palmate lobes.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Venation: Palmate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Kulu 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 Kulu itself; the rest are typical of the Sterculiaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Hindi: Kulu कुलु, Kulu
Tamil: Kavalam Tam, செந்தனுக்கு
Telugu: Kavili
Kannada: Kurdu, ಕಂದೋಲಿ Kandoli, ಕೆಂಪುದಾಳೆ Kempudaale, ಕೆಂಪುದಾಳೆ
Malayalam: Paravakka, തൊണ്ടി
Marathi: Sardol, कहांडळ
Gujarati: કડાયો

Kulu in India

This distinctive tree, known as Kulu कुलु (Hindi), Kavalam Tam (Tamil), Kavili (Telugu), Kurdu (Kannada), Paravakka (Malayalam), Sardol (Marathi), is the source of gum karaya, a widely traded natural gum. Sterculia urens is found across Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, NCT of Delhi, Telangana, typically on dry, rocky hillsides.

Uses

Its natural gum (gum karaya) is tapped from cuts in the bark and used industrially as a thickener and stabiliser in food, textiles and pharmaceuticals.

How to Identify Kulu

A distinctive tree with smooth, pale, papery bark that peels in flakes, often looking almost white or silvery from a distance. Leaves are large and lobed, clustered near the branch tips. Cuts in the bark exude a translucent gum that hardens into irregular lumps.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Kateera-gum called in different Indian languages?: Kulu कुलु (Hindi); Kavalam Tam (Tamil); Kavili (Telugu); Kurdu (Kannada); Paravakka (Malayalam); Sardol (Marathi); કડાયો (Gujarati).
What is gum karaya used for?: It's a natural thickener and stabiliser widely used in food processing, textiles, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, tapped directly from cuts in the tree's bark.
Why does the bark look so pale?: Its thin, papery outer bark peels away in flakes, revealing a smooth, pale under-layer that gives the trunk a distinctive whitish appearance, especially visible in the dry season.

Botanical family

Sterculiaceae

Cacao/Cola family

Kulu belongs to the Sterculiaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

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Common plant problems

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More in Sterculiaceae

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Sources: GBIF — Sterculia urens (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Sterculia urens (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)