Curry leaf

Murraya koenigii

Rutaceae

The leaf that makes a South Indian tadka smell like itself — a citrus-family tree, not a jar of powder.

Culinary leaf. Not curry powder, which is a British blend, and not the ornamental mock orange.

Parts used: Leaf
Traditional notes: Kitchen tadka · After a heavy meal · Traditional digestive
Grow · USDA 6b: Tropical shrub, USDA 9–11; pot and overwinter north A nursery plant or a fresh seed. Cuttings sulk. In work: Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct
Harvest: Leaf year-round on a happy tree. Pinch sprigs.

Bring it in before 40°F.
Frozen fresh leaf beats the dried packet.

Safety

Rue-family photosensitivity in huge amounts — food leaf is fine

Lore

The Hindi kadipatta is the leaf of the kari tree, which the British heard as ‘curry’ and then applied to a spice blend that does not include it. South Indian and Sri Lankan kitchens never needed the confusion. A tree by the kitchen door is a status as ordinary as a bay tree in Provence.

The Herbarium — a teaching catalog, not a clinic. Traditional use is history, not a prescription. USDA 6b dates are a week either way, not a promise. Do not eat, drink, or harvest a plant you cannot name.