બોર

Zizyphus mauritiana

Indian jujube

Native

Commonly known as Indian Plum, Bor, Mota Bor, Chinese date.

A much-branched, thorny, evergreen tree up to 15 metres tall (though often a compact 3-4m shrub in harsher climates), capable of spreading by suckers into a thicket. Its small, yellow-to-red fruit is one of India's most familiar winter snacks, sweet, tart, and instantly recognisable to anyone who grew up here.

The plant

Habit Shrub, Tree

Origin Native

Flowering Winter

Edible Yes

Growing it

Drainage Needs to drain well

Soil Almost any · takes salt

Started from Seed, Cuttings

Germinates 3–4 weeks

Life it supports

No specific wildlife-relationship data recorded for this species.

How to grow it

Store seed for 4 months to let it after-ripen, this improves germination significantly.
Cold stratification in sand for 60-90 days at 5°C helps further, and scarifying the seed (or treating it with sulphuric acid) also aids germination.
Seeds need full sunlight to germinate.
Left inside the stone, germination takes 3-4 weeks; cracked, it's quicker; carefully extracted, just about a week.
Sow in full light in trays or beds, and prick out seedlings once two pairs of true leaves have formed, expect roughly 15 months in the nursery before they're ready.
Root cuttings also work.

The story

Ayurveda describes several varieties by size and preparation, each with distinct effects: ripe fruit is considered sweet, digestive, and good for eliminating fatigue and blood disorders; the bark paste is used for wounds; fruit pulp on the eyes for eye disease; and seeds for calming and nourishing effects.

What it is used for

The fruit is eaten raw, preserved, crushed into a drink, or worked into a floury meal, butter, or cheese-like paste.
Unripe fruit is eaten with salt; seeds are eaten raw as a snack; young leaves are cooked as a vegetable.
In Chinese medicine it's prescribed as a liver-strengthening tonic, and modern research backs some of this: dried fruit contains saponins, triterpenoids, and alkaloids that show anticancer, antidote, and tonic properties, used traditionally for chronic fatigue, anaemia, and bronchitis.
The seed is used for insomnia and night sweats; leaves are used for cough, asthma, and hair growth; a root decoction treats fevers.
Japanese research has found it boosts immune-system resistance, and a small Chinese clinical trial found liver function improved in patients given jujube, peanuts, and brown sugar nightly for four weeks.

These uses are documented for information only and are not medical advice. Always verify the species and the plant part before use.

Where it is found

Found from China through India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and Southeast Asia to Australia, especially in sandy soils of arid regions, coastal thickets, and dry woodlands up to 1,800m. Native to North China, it reached West Asia over 2,500 years ago via ancient trade routes.

Sources

Back to the repository