Acacia Concinna, Shikakai - 0.5 kg Seeds

Acacia concinna, known across India as shikakai, is a thorny scrambling shrub or small tree of the Fabaceae, common in the forests and scrub of central and southern India. It bears feathery bipinnate leaves, creamy flower heads and flat fleshy pods that are the source of the famous herbal hair wash.

The pods, rich in natural saponins, are dried and powdered to make a gentle, traditional shampoo and are widely used in Ayurvedic hair-care preparations; the leaves and bark also have folk medicinal uses. The plant is grown on field bunds and as a living thorn hedge, and its scrambling habit suits it to fences and degraded slopes.

• Family: Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
• Native region: tropical Asia, including central and southern India
• Mature size: scrambling shrub or small tree, 3-5 m
• Growth rate: moderate

The seeds are hard-coated, so treat them with hot water (pour near-boiling water over them and soak as it cools for about 24 hours) or scarify lightly before sowing. Sow 1-2 cm deep in a well-drained sandy mix; germination usually takes 14-21 days. Grow on in poly bags and transplant the young plants during the monsoon.