Description
The catechu mixture is high in natural vegetable tannins and may be used for the tanning of animal hides.
Senegalia catechu is a deciduous, thorny tree which grows up to 15 m (50 ft) in height. The plant is called khair in Hindi, and kachu in Malay, hence the name was Latinized to catechu in Linnaean taxonomy,.
Plant Specifications
| Common Name | Cashoo, catechu |
| Maximum Reachable Height | 8 to 10 ft. |
| Flower Colour | Yellow |
| Bloom Time | February |
| Difficulty Level | Easy to grow |
Planting and care
Oblong pairs of secondary leaflets 2-6 mm long. Glands occur on the stem below the first pair of leaves, and between the uppermost six pairs of leaves. Pairs of stout thorns up to 10 mm long are found at the base of each leaf. The flowers are white or pale yellow, about 3 mm long and bunched tightly together to form a cylindrical flower spike, 35-75 mm long, resembling a lamb s tail.
Cutch Tree care
Cutch tree is a small tree, growing 3-15 m high. The stem is dark brown to black, with rough bark which peels off in long strips in mature trees; young trees have corky bark. The fern-like leaves are 100-200 mm long and contain between 8 and 30 pairs of small leaves made up of numerous, oblong pairs of secondary leaflets 2-6 mm long. Glands occur on the stem below the first pair of leaves
| Sunlight | Full Sun |
| Watering | Medium |
| Soil | Well-drained soil |
| Temperature | 32 to 39 degrees C. |
| Fertilizer | Apply any organic fertilizer |
Cutch Tree special feature
Its hard wood is useful in manufacturing, building and making charcoal, while extracts from the wood.
Cutch Tree uses
Ornamental Use:
- The plant is used for ornamental purpose
Medicinal Use:
- The heart wood and bark of the tree are used in traditional medicine
- A wood extract called catechu is used in traditional medicine for sore throats and diarrhea
- The concentrated aqueous extract, known as khayer gum or cutch, is astringent
- It is used in Ayurvedic medicine