Burflower tree (Neolamarckia cadamba)

Neolamarckia cadamba, the kadam tree, is a fast-growing monsoon tree with golf-ball-sized, orange, fragrant flower heads. It is celebrated in Hindu tradition as Krishna’s tree in Vrindavan, and it gave its name to the Kadamba dynasty of Karnataka. Today it is also a plantation tree for plywood and matchwood.

Botanical name: Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser
Family: Rubiaceae
Tamil: Vellai kadambam
Hindi: Kadam
Parts used: Flowers (scent), Fruit (nibble)
Habit: Orange ball Rubiaceae; kadamba is a shop word
Last updated: 2026-10-25

How to recognise Burflower tree

It is a tall tree with a straight trunk and wide, tiered, horizontal branches.

The leaves are large, glossy and oval, in opposite pairs.

During the monsoon it produces round, orange to golden flower heads about five centimetres across, made of hundreds of tiny tubular flowers with protruding styles, and sweetly scented.

The flower heads ripen into fleshy, yellowish fruit balls packed with tiny seeds. Haldu, Haldina cordifolia, has smaller yellow flower balls and heart-shaped leaves.

Traditional use of Burflower tree

Hindu tradition

The kadamba is associated with Krishna and with the monsoon in Indian poetry and painting.

Hindu literature and art

Food and craft

The fruit is eaten in some regions. The soft wood is used for boxes, plywood and matches.

Indian village practice

Modern notes on Burflower tree

It is one of the fastest-growing tropical trees and is grown in plantations for pulp and light timber.

Which kadamba tree classical texts meant is debated, and some scholars argue for Mitragyna parvifolia.

Burflower tree safety

There is no established medical use. Eat the fruit only where it is a known local food.

Ecology and sourcing

It grows in moist forests and along streams from India to Southeast Asia and New Guinea.

Its flowers are visited by many insects, and bats and birds eat the fruit and disperse the seeds.

Its fast growth makes it a good shade tree for degraded land, though its soft wood breaks easily in storms.

Related plants

Also in Rubiaceae

Questions about Burflower tree

Is Burflower tree the Vrindavan kadamba?

Usually, though some lists mean Mitragyna parvifolia.

What older names does Neolamarckia cadamba go by?

Anthocephalus cadamba and Nauclea cadamba.

When does Burflower tree flower?

During the monsoon.

Is the fruit of Burflower tree edible?

It is eaten in some regions, mostly by children, but it is not a common food.

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.