Ehretia acuminata
R.Br.
Boraginaceae
The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.
Common Name: Koda Tree
Growing tree
Photograph by: KENPEI
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Growing tree
Photograph by: KENPEI
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Looking up the trunk into the canopy
Photograph by: David Stang
Ripening fruit
Photograph by: Mark Marathon
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Flowering branches
Photograph by: Denis.prévôt
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Inflorescence
Photograph by: Denis.prévôt
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0
General Information
Ehretia acuminata is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 9.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
109- Title
- Plantae Wilsonae. Vol 1 - 3
- Publication
-
- Author
- Wilson. E. H.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- University Press; Cambridge.
- Year
- 1911 - 1917
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Details of the palnts collected by the plant collector E. H. Wilson on his travels in China. Gives some habitats. Not for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
,
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
E. Asia - China to the Himalayas.
Habitat
Woodlands in valleys to 1500 metres in W. China[
109- Title
- Plantae Wilsonae. Vol 1 - 3
- Publication
-
- Author
- Wilson. E. H.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- University Press; Cambridge.
- Year
- 1911 - 1917
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Details of the palnts collected by the plant collector E. H. Wilson on his travels in China. Gives some habitats. Not for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
,
146- Title
- A Manual of Indian Timbers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Gamble. J. S.
- Publisher
- Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Deciduous Tree |
| Height | 9.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Prefers a moderately fertile well-drained sandy loam in a sunny position[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Tolerates calcareous soils[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Requires a sheltered position[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Plants are shade tolerant in continental climates but they require more sun in maritime areas in order to ripen the wood[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Rich fertile soils encourage soft sappy growth which is then more susceptible to winter damage[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
The young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
A tree at Kew was 6 metres tall in 1989[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
This species is much confused with E. ovalifolia[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
].
Edible Uses
Fruit - raw[
105- Title
- Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tanaka. T. & Nakao S.
- Publisher
- Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
,
144- Title
- Wild Food in Australia.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
- Publisher
- Fontana
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
- 0-00-634436-4
- Description
- A very good pocket guide.
,
146- Title
- A Manual of Indian Timbers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Gamble. J. S.
- Publisher
- Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.
,
158- Title
- Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Gupta. B. L.
- Publisher
- Forest Research Institute Press
- Year
- 1945
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A good flora for the middle Himalayan forests, sparsly illustrated. Not really for the casual reader.
,
177- Title
- Plants for Human Consumption
- Publication
-
- Author
- Kunkel. G.
- Publisher
- Koeltz Scientific Books
- Year
- 1984
- ISBN
- 3874292169
- Description
- An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
]. About the size of a pea, it is insipidly sweet when fully ripe[
2- Title
- Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hedrick. U. P.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- 0-486-20459-6
- Description
- Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
,
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. The fruit is about 4mm in diameter[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. The unripe fruit is sometimes used as a pickle[
2- Title
- Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hedrick. U. P.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- 0-486-20459-6
- Description
- Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
,
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
].
Medicinal
The juice of the bark is used in the treatment of fevers[
272- Title
- Plants and People of Nepal
- Publication
-
- Author
- Manandhar. N. P.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 0-88192-527-6
- Description
- Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
].
Other Uses
Wood - light, tough, soft and easily worked. Used for carrying poles[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
61- Title
- A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Usher. G.
- Publisher
- Constable
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
- 0094579202
- Description
- Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
,
158- Title
- Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Gupta. B. L.
- Publisher
- Forest Research Institute Press
- Year
- 1945
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A good flora for the middle Himalayan forests, sparsly illustrated. Not really for the casual reader.
].
Propagation
Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing it as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse. Sow stored seed in late winter or early spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame.
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Temperate Plants Database 2016 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
