We have recently published ‘Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions’: i.e. tropical and sub-tropical regions. We rely on regular donations to keep our free database going and help fund development of this and another book we are planning on food forest plants for Mediterranean climates. Please give what you can to keep PFAF properly funded. More >>>

Follow Us:

 

Woodfordia fruticosa - (L.) Kurz

Common Name Fire-flame bush
Family Lythraceae
USDA hardiness 10-12
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Habitat Open, sunny places, often on disturbed soils and on old agricultural land. Open waste land and degraded places[338 ].
Range East Africa - Tanzania, Madagascar; E. Asia - Indian subcontinent, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Indones
Edibility Rating    (2 of 5)
Other Uses    (4 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (2 of 5)
Care (info)
Tender Moist Soil Full sun
Woodfordia fruticosa Fire-flame bush


http://www.edibleplants.org
Woodfordia fruticosa Fire-flame bush
http://www.edibleplants.org

 

Translate this page:

Summary

Fire-flame bush, Woodfordia fruticosa, is a well-branched tropical shrub growing up to 5-7 m in height with a reddish-brown bark that peels off in strips. It is endemic to India. New shoots and leaves have black dots and circles of glands. The leaves are simple, covered with white hairs, and opposite or in rings of three. The flowers are in clusters of up to 17 on short shoots in the axils of leaves. Individual flowers are large and red-orange. The fruits are dry irregular capsules containing many smooth, small, brown seeds. The plant has medicinal uses and is used in the treatment of dysentery and menorrhagia, and as an astringent. The flowers are eaten as food and used in the preparation of a cooling drink. The plant yields a gum and the flowers and leaves contain tannins. The flowers also yield a dye. The wood is used for fuel. Plants are tolerant to frosts and coppices well.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of shrub
Woodfordia fruticosa is an evergreen Shrub growing to 5 m (16ft) by 5 m (16ft) at a medium rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Grislea punctata Buch.-Ham. ex Sm. Grislea tomentosa Roxb. Lythrum fruticosum L. Lythrum hunteri DC.

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers
Edible Uses: Drink  Gum

The flowers are eaten as food and used in the preparation of a cooling drink[439 ]. (This report was a little unclear, and might have referred to the leaves[K ].)

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Antidiarrhoeal  Astringent  Dysentery

The flowers are astringent[615 ]. They are used in the treatment of dysentery, traditionally being beaten up with honey into a kind of confection[615. They are also thought to be of use in treating menorrhagia[615 ] The flowers are used externally as an astringent[615 ].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

The Bookshop: Edible Plant Books

Our Latest books on Perennial Plants For Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens in paperback or digital formats.

Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions: 250+ Plants For Tropical Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.
Edible Tropical Plants

Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions: 250+ Plants For Tropical Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.

More
Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.
Edible Temperate Plants

Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.

More
PFAF have eight books available in paperback and digital media.
More Books

PFAF have eight books available in paperback and digital formats. Browse the shop for more information.

Shop Now

Other Uses

Dye  Fuel  Gum  Mordant  Soil conditioner  Soil stabilization  Tannin

Agroforestry Uses: This is a common gregarious shrub which springs up naturally on landslips, abandoned cultivation, and other open places, killing out grass, binding the soil together and acting as a useful soil-improver and a most efficient nurse to tree species, including sal, which come up freely under its protective cover. It is unable to regenerate by seed in shady places so, as the trees grow larger this species gradually dies out. It is not eaten by cattle, and is frost-hardy, and thus appears often in extensive pure masses on open ground subject to grazing. Other Uses A gum is obtained from the plant. It is similar to gum tragacanth[46 , 439 ]. The flowers contain about 20% tannins[615 ]. They are harvested when open and then dried for later use. When being used for their tannins, the leaves are employed more commonly than the flowers, simply because they are available in greater quantity[439 ]. A dye is obtained from the flowers[46 , 615 ]. It can be used on its own or combined with other dyes where they also act as a mordant[439 ]. They are most commonly combined with Morinda citrifolia[439 ]. The wood is used for fuel[439 ].

Special Uses

Coppice  Food Forest

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Plants are frost tolerant. Requires a sunny position. Succeeds in any well-drained soil[200 ]. Plants are very wind tolerant[200 ]. The plant coppices well; coppice-shoots five years old averaged 3 metres in height.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

image

The PFAF Bookshop

Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees,Edible Shrubs, Woodland Gardening, and Temperate Food Forest Plants. Our new book is Food Forest Plants For Hotter Conditions (Tropical and Sub-Tropical).

Shop Now

Plant Propagation

The seed is minute - the plant self-sows freely in open, well-drained ground but can be more difficult in a nursery situation. The most successful way in which to grow the plant artificially is to sow the seeds in broken bricks; on ordinary seed-beds it is very difficult to obtain germination and to raise seedlings. If sowing the seed in a nursery bed, the soil should be light and very well-drained and the position should be fairly sunny. Scatter the seed over the surface and just lightly push it into the soil - do not cover it. Water the seed gently, being careful not to wash it away, and water once or twice a day if the soil looks like it is drying out[K ]. Softwood cuttings[200 ]. They are said to be easy[439 ]. Hardwood cuttings[200 ]. They are said to be easy[439 ].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Agnijwala, Dahai, Dawai, Dawi, Dhai-phul, Dhai, Dhaiphal, Dhangera, Dhataki, Dhaula, Dhaura, Dhavdi, Dhawi, Dhayti, Dhenti, Gaddaisinka, Gul bahar, Gul, Harwari, Icha, Jargi, Jatiko, Lambohenza, Phuldawai, Phulsatti, Santha, Serinji, Shiranjitea, Tamrapushpi, Tawi, Thai, Thawi, Zhubuli, aarl puruvu, anare phul, bahupuspi, bajhiya, birukanda, chenchev, chyuhuwa, daring, davi, dha-ta-ki, dhai, dhainra, dhaiphool, dhaiphul, dhaiphula, dhanyar, dhanyaro, dhataki, dhathaki, dhauli, dhava, dhavadi, dhavadiphool, dhavani, dhavati, dhaya, dhayaro, dhayati, dhataki (flower), fire flame bush, fire-flame bush, fire-flame bush|malitha, fire-flame-bush, ghayaro, jamjasa, kattathi, kattati, kattattipoo, phul dhava, sano dhayaro, shiranji tea, shiranji-tea, syakte, tamrapushpi, tatire, tattiripuvu, tamrapu?pi, vahnijvala, woodfordia.

Native Range

TEMPERATE ASIA: China (Yunnan Sheng, Xizang Zizhiqu) TROPICAL ASIA: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Myanmar, Thailand (north), Indonesia (Jawa, Lesser Sunda Islands) AFRICA: Tanzania (Mafia Island), Comoros, Madagascar

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : Status: Lower Risk/least concern

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Expert comment

Author

(L.) Kurz

Botanical References

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.

Readers comment

Add a comment

If you have important information about this plant that may help other users please add a comment or link below. Only comments or links that are felt to be directly relevant to a plant will be included. If you think a comment/link or information contained on this page is inaccurate or misleading we would welcome your feedback at [email protected]. If you have questions about a plant please use the Forum on this website as we do not have the resources to answer questions ourselves.

* Please note: the comments by website users are not necessarily those held by PFAF and may give misleading or inaccurate information.

To leave a comment please Register or login here All comments need to be approved so will not appear immediately.

Subject : Woodfordia fruticosa  
© 2010, Plants For A Future. Plants For A Future is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Charity No. 1057719, Company No. 3204567.