Gummy gardenia (Gardenia gummifera)

Gardenia gummifera is a small, stiff shrub of the Deccan’s dry rocky hills whose shoot tips are glazed with a yellow, strong-smelling resin. That resin, scraped off and dried, is dikamali, sold in Indian bazaars. Its flowers are white and fragrant, like those of the garden gardenia, but it is a hardy wild plant.

Botanical name: Gardenia gummifera L.f.
Family: Rubiaceae
Tamil: Kambilipisin
Hindi: Dikamali
Parts used: Leaf-bud gum (historical; not a kitchen sweet)
Habit: Gum gardenia; gandhraj is G. jasminoides
Last updated: 2026-10-25

How to recognise Gummy gardenia

It is a rigid, much-branched shrub, usually under three metres, with small, glossy, stalkless leaves crowded at the ends of the branches.

The buds at the branch tips are covered in sticky, shining yellow resin. Touch one and your fingers smell sharp for hours.

Flowers are white, fragrant, with a slender tube, opening in the evening and fading to yellow.

Gardenia resinifera, the other dikamali source, is usually a larger tree with bigger leaves. The resins of the two are mixed in trade.

Traditional use of Gummy gardenia

Veterinary and household

Dikamali was smeared on the wounds and sores of cattle to keep flies away, and it was used in households as an insect repellent.

Indian veterinary practice

Ayurveda and Unani

Dikamali appears in classical lists for digestive complaints and for teething discomfort in children. Those uses have not been tested in trials.

Indian materia medica

Modern notes on Gummy gardenia

Chemical studies of the resin report flavonoids and terpenoids. Laboratory activity has not translated into a proven human use.

Most dikamali is still collected from wild plants.

Gummy gardenia safety

Do not give dikamali to children without medical advice. Its effects in people are poorly studied.

Ecology and sourcing

It grows on dry, stony hills and in scrub across the Deccan plateau and adjoining regions.

Over-scraping the buds stops new growth, so collection pressure can weaken wild shrubs.

Related plants

Also in Rubiaceae

Questions about Gummy gardenia

Is Gummy gardenia the garden gardenia?

No. The garden gardenia sold as gandhraj is Gardenia jasminoides.

What is dikamali?

The dried bud resin of this shrub and of Gardenia resinifera.

What is the Hindi name of Gardenia gummifera?

Dikamali.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.