Common Name: hydnocarpus
Type: Broadleaf evergreen
Family: Achariaceae
Native Range: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines
Zone: 12 to 12
Height: 23.00 to 65.00 feet
Spread: 14.00 to 40.00 feet
Bloom Time: Seasonal bloomer
Bloom Description: Yellow-green with pink blush
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Fragrant
Leaf: Evergreen
Culture
Best grown in evenly moist, well-draining, sandy loams in full sun. Hardy in tropical, frost-free Zones 12 and above.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Hydnocarpus anthelminthicus is an evergreen tree or large shrub native to the rainforests of mainland Southeast Asia. Mature specimens have straight trunks with grey-brown bark topped with a dense, rounded canopy of foliage and will reach up to 65' tall with a 40' spread. The leaves are lanceolate to oblong in shape and can reach up to 8" long and 3" wide. The small, fragrant flowers have yellow, green, and pink tones and held in axillary clusters, sometimes emerging from the surface of larger branches. This plant is dioecious, meaning that male and female flowers are usually present on separate individuals. The coppery orange to brown fruits are round in shape and can reach up to 4.5" in diameter. Various parts of this plant are used in traditional herbal medicine.
The genus Hydnocarpus means "truffle-fruit", in reference to the appearance of the fruits.
The specific epithet anthelminthicus means "worm-repelling", in reference to an ethnomedicinal use of the seeds.
Problems
No major pest or disease problems of note.
Uses
Cultivated for its ornamental and medicinal value.