Curry Leaf Plant
Murraya koenigii
Curry leaf is an aromatic small tree whose glossy leaflets are a staple of South Asian cooking. It grows well in a large pot, and regular harvesting keeps it bushy. Fresh home-grown leaves have a far stronger flavour than shop-bought ones.
Photo: Forest and Kim Starr · CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Essential Care Requirements
Light
Full sun, Partial sun
Watering
Moderate
Water when the top 2–3 cm of soil is dry. It needs regular water in summer but rots easily in soggy soil, so water much less in winter and during the monsoon.
Soil
Well-drained, slightly acidic soil rich in organic matter. In pots, use soil, compost and coarse sand in equal parts.
Temperature and humidity
10–40 °C · Moderate humidity
Feeding
Feed with compost or vermicompost monthly during spring and summer. A spoonful of Epsom salt in a litre of water once a season helps keep leaves dark green.
Pruning and propagation
Propagate by seed, stem cuttings
Pinch out the growing tips regularly and harvest whole stems rather than single leaflets. Remove flower clusters to keep the plant leafy.
The leaves are edible. The ripe berries' seeds should not be eaten.
Top Cultivation Tips
Seedlings are slow for the first year; be patient.
Harvest from the top to encourage side shoots.
Watch for citrus butterfly caterpillars, which eat the leaves.
Move pots to a sheltered spot on nights below 10 °C.
Common problems
Caterpillars
The larvae of moths and butterflies, which chew holes in leaves, flowers and fruit and can strip a plant in days.
How to treat it →DiseaseCitrus greening
A serious bacterial disease of citrus spread by the Asian citrus psyllid that causes blotchy yellow leaves and small, bitter, misshapen fruit.
How to treat it →PestCitrus psyllid
Tiny sap-sucking insects on new citrus shoots that cause curled leaves and can spread greening, a serious incurable disease.
How to treat it →DiseaseRoot rot
Roots decay in waterlogged soil, so the plant wilts and yellows even though the soil is wet.
How to treat it →PestScale insects
Immobile, shell-covered insects that cling to stems and leaves, draining sap and weakening trees and houseplants.
How to treat it →PestWhiteflies
Small white flying insects that gather under leaves, sucking sap, spreading viruses and leaving sticky honeydew.
How to treat it →
