Curry Tree

Curry Tree (Murraya koenigii) is the source of the curry leaf, and there is no real substitute: dried leaves lose most of what matters, so serious cooks grow their own. It is a fast growing evergreen to about 4m tall and 2m wide, slim enough for a narrow bed, with a citrus scent every time you brush past.

Why you'll love it

• Fresh curry leaves on tap. Pick a sprig whenever you cook. One established plant produces more than a household can use.
• Fast to useful size. A genuinely quick grower in warm weather, so a small plant is worth picking from within a season or two.
• Narrow and upright. About 4m tall on a 2m footprint, so it fills a side passage where a spreading fruit tree would not fit.
• Fragrant, and tough once established. Scented foliage and flushes of white flowers for the bees, plus heat, humidity and drought tolerance after the first couple of seasons.

Where it works best

The kitchen garden. Plant it where you walk past on the way to the kitchen. Regular picking is what keeps the plant bushy, so convenience directly improves the plant.

Screening in a small garden. Plant 1.5m apart for an edible informal screen. It will not clip into a formal hedge, but a row along a boundary gives height, scent and a harvest.

Pots and courtyards. A pot 400mm or wider holds it at about 1.5m to 2m with regular picking, the standard approach in cooler southern gardens.

Growing curry tree in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest leaf production, though it accepts a few hours of shade. This is a tropical, subtropical and warm temperate plant and it takes light frost only. In cool temperate, tableland and inland frost districts keep it potted against a north facing wall and shift it under cover for the coldest months.

Soil. Free draining above all else. It handles ordinary garden soil and even poor ground, but wet feet in winter will kill it. Mound the bed on clay and mulch 75mm deep, clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then only in dry spells. Because you are harvesting leaves, feed it like a leafy crop: a nitrogen rich organic fertiliser in early spring and mid summer keeps new growth coming.

Pruning. Harvesting is the pruning. Take whole sprigs rather than single leaves, and tip prune in spring to force branching. Suckers around the base can be removed or left to build a clump.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow it in 140mm pots sold in packs of ten, 165mm pots in packs of six, and 200mm pots in packs of six. The 140mm plants are young single stems, 20cm to 40cm tall, and the value buy for a row. The 165mm and 200mm plants give a usable harvest sooner.

Some leaf drop in transit is normal, and plants shipped in the cooler months may arrive sparse, because that is what this species does in winter below the subtropics. Growth resumes as soon as it warms. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full edible plant range
• How to plan a productive food garden
• Mock Orange, the ornamental Murraya for hedging
• Other fragrant plants worth walking past

Common questions

Is this the same as the silver leaved curry plant?

No. That one smells like curry powder but is not used in cooking. This is the true curry leaf tree, and the leaves are the part you use.

Are the berries edible?

The flesh of the ripe black berries is eaten in some regions, but the seed inside is not edible and should be discarded. The leaves are what the plant is grown for.

How do I keep it bushy instead of tall and bare?

Pick from it constantly and tip prune in spring. Harvesting whole sprigs forces branching, while an unharvested tree runs straight up to 4m with the leaf out of reach.