Shikakai (Senegalia rugata): names, uses, safety

Seekakai, shikakai in Hindi, is a thorny climbing acacia whose dried pods are ground into the traditional Indian hair wash. Mixed with reetha and amla, shikakai powder cleanses hair gently because the pods are rich in foaming saponins. The plant grows wild in dry forests of South and central India. Older books call it Acacia concinna.

Botanical name: Senegalia rugata (Lam.) Britton & Rose
Family: Fabaceae
Tamil: Seekakai
Hindi: Shikakai
Sanskrit: Saptalā
Parts used: Pods
Habit: Thorny scrambling shrub whose pods wash hair
Last updated: 2026-10-27

How to recognise Shikakai

It is a woody climbing shrub with stems covered in small, hooked prickles.

The leaves are feathery and twice-divided into many tiny leaflets.

Small, round, pale yellow to pinkish flower heads grow in clusters.

The pods are thick and fleshy, roughly eight to twelve centimetres long, straight when green and deeply wrinkled and brown when dry.

Babul is an upright tree with long, straight white thorns.

Traditional use of Shikakai

Household

Dried pods are ground with reetha, amla and other herbs into shikakai powder and boiled for washing hair.

Indian household practice

Ayurveda

Saptala appears in Ayurvedic texts for skin and as a cleanser.

Ayurvedic texts

Modern notes on Shikakai

Its saponins lather and remove oil more gently than many synthetic detergents.

Shikakai is used in commercial herbal shampoos.

Wild pods are collected by forest communities and sold to traders.

Pods are harvested in the dry season, sun-dried and ground, and much of the trade comes from forests of central and South India.

Shikakai safety

Keep shikakai water out of the eyes, where it stings. Do not swallow the powder, which can cause vomiting.

Ecology and sourcing

It grows wild in dry deciduous forests of South and central India and South-east Asia.

It climbs over trees using its hooked prickles.

Bees visit the flower heads.

Related plants

Also in Fabaceae

Questions about Shikakai

What is shikakai used for?

Washing hair.

Why does Shikakai lather?

Its pods contain saponins.

Is Shikakai the same as reetha?

No. Reetha is soapnut, Sapindus.

Is Shikakai a tree?

It is a climbing shrub.

What was the older name of Senegalia rugata?

Acacia concinna.

How is shikakai powder made?

Dried pods are ground, often with reetha, amla and other herbs.

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.