Madhuca longifoli, Mahua - 0.5 kg Seeds

Mahua (Madhuca longifolia) is a large, shade-giving deciduous tree with a dense, rounded crown and thick, leathery leaves, central to the rural and tribal economy of India. It is most famous for its fleshy, sweet, cream-coloured flowers that drop in great numbers in spring.

The flowers are eaten and fermented into a traditional liquor and syrup; the oily seeds yield mahua (illipe) oil used in cooking, soap and lamps; the timber is hard and durable; and various parts have medicinal and fodder uses, making it a true multipurpose tree. It grows in dry and moist deciduous forests across central and northern India, including Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Maharashtra, on a wide range of soils.

• Family: Sapotaceae
• Native region: Indian subcontinent
• Mature height: 15-20 m
• Growth rate: Slow to moderate

The oily seed is recalcitrant and short-lived, so sow it fresh as soon as it is collected. Soak the cleaned seed in water for about 24 hours, sow 2-3 cm deep in deep bags or a well-drained bed and keep moist and warm; germination takes around 14-21 days. Raise seedlings in deep containers because of the strong taproot and transplant before it coils.