Tamarind

Tamarindus indica

Indigenous

Standard/Trade name: Tamarind, Mkwadju

Tamarind also know as Mkwadju, is a tree featuring a dense crown and a stout trunk measuring up to 1 meter in diameter. Height can go up to 30m. Its bark is rough and grey-brown, peeling in flakes. The compound leaves are borne on hairy stalks, comprised of 10-18 pairs of dull green leaflets. Small, red-budded flowers give way to golden petals with red veins, leading to pale brown, sausage-shaped fruits encasing 1-10 dark brown seeds.

The tree is valued for firewood, charcoal, timber, furniture, poles, posts, utensils (including pestles and mortars, carts), boat construction, and food (edible fruit pulp utilized for souring porridge, juice, or as a seasoning; fried seeds for flavoring). Additionally, it serves medicinal purposes (leaves, twigs, bark, roots), attracts bees as forage, provides shade, and is appreciated for its ornamental value, tannin content, and dye potential.

The Mkwadju fruit holds significant nutritional importance globally, and in Kenya, at the Coast. In urban areas, one will normally find traders selling the edible fruit during its season.