Katuk in blossom
Edible Katuk: Sauropus androgynus
Katuk grows reluctantly in my yard. It likes truly tropical climes and I am on the subtropical/temperate line. But it’s still a favorite nibble and a staple vegetable in many parts of the world.
Katuk has a tasty leaf with a pea-like or nutty flavor. It’s also half protein, an amazing amount for a vegetable. More so, the leaves can be quickly stripped from the stem by pulling it between your fingers. Tender tips, leaves, flowers, small fruits and seeds of the Katuk are eaten raw or cooked, from soup to salad.
Also known as the Sweetleaf Bush, Katuk is native to lowland rain forests and prefers a hot, humid climate. Hot and humid I’ve got, but not the lowland forest. I have not been able to get it above medium shrub stage here in central Florida, but from what I read it never gets much beyond a big shrub anyway. As mentioned I am exactly on the line between subtropical and temperate, which means an occasional freeze and one or two light frosts per winter. When a freeze threatens I take in clippings.
Katuk (ka-TOOK) will grow in shade or full sun, but it will not tolerate being dry. Under ideal conditions, it can grow up to a foot a week but it is never sturdy. Regular trimming assures optimal production of new tender shoots, prime food for Asian markets. One is supposed to keep it pruned to between 3-6 feet whereas mine has never exceeded four feet. The best way to propagate it is to take a cutting and put it in water, changing the water often. Another way is to take a stem and stick in the ground under some moist shade.
Katuk leaves
The leaves and the top four or five inches of a branch tip have a pleasant taste, similar to fresh garden peas, and slightly nutty. They are usually are eaten raw in salads, or steamed. You can add them to stir-fry, rice and egg dishes, soups or casseroles. The leaves retain their color and texture when cooking, which is fine for salads but you might want to chop them a little for soups or frying. They are often served in restaurants under the name “sayur manis.” The tiny flowers and fruit are also edible, though I have never noticed any fruit on my Katuk bushes.
Katuk is quite nutritious with the nutrient content is higher in more mature leaves. Though it is dwarfed by the Moringa trees in my yard, I eat the Katuk far more often than the Moringa just out of taste. Raw the Katuk has an after taste that sits well on the palate, the Moringa can be sharp and bitter, if not peppery. More so, the Moringa easily grows 12 feet a season, where as the Katuk just gets a manageable bushy. (My Moringa article is here.)
As to Katuk’s scientific name, Sauropus androgynus. (SAW row-puss an-DROG-ah-nus.) What it means is known, as both words are Latinized Greek. Why the plant is called what it is called is a little harder. Androgynus, in the plant world, means having flowers that are either male or female. Sauropus means “lizard-foot.” Why “lizard foot” is anyone’s guess. By the way: Change the ending of Sauropus to Saururus and you have Lizard Tail, a different plant species with medicinal qualities.
By now you should know Katuk is one of the most popular vegetable in the world, particularly in Borneo and my home in Florida. Now some information to keep the lawyers happy:
Every now and then some people get suckered and become human lab rats. This happened in Taiwan in the mid-1990’s involving Katuk. Although Katuk has been consumed for thousands of years without issue, and is consumed daily by millions without a problem, there is always someone around to do something excessive and stupid. The rest of us end up with a warning and worry.
Katuk’s tiny blossoms
Some vendors in Taiwan convinced people that an extract of raw Katuk was good for weight loss… yep, a fad diet. The vendors sold extract of ground Katuk leaves mixed with fruit juice. Fifty-four people, 50 females, four males, developed lung problems, most of which went away upon stopping the diet. Four middle-aged women, however, who drank 3.5 to 7 ounces (100g to 200g) a day of the extract for up to two months had to have lung transplants within a year and a half of consuming the extract. This is the human equivalent of over-dosing a lab rat to induce disease. More so, not only did these four take the extract they also ate a lot more raw Katuk while taking the extract. Only mother’s milk wouldn’t hurt you at that rate, and maybe even that would. Despite proven dangerous, this fad diet persisted and 9 cases were found in Japan in 2006 causing one death and one lung transplant.
The poisonings are believed related to papaverine in the plant, which makes blood vessels open up and is not an uncommon treatment for high blood pressure. There is about 580 mg of papaverine per 100g of raw Katuk leaf, or about the same as four prescriptions capsules of papaverine to 3 ounces of raw leaf. The theory is in high doses it permanently damaged the tiny blood vessels in the lung. Researchers have not been able to recreate the symptoms in lab rats which has led some to think the problem might have a genetic component.
A follow-up study of 278 people in Taiwan with non-fatal symptoms found the median consumption of Katuk was 5.3 ounces a day of raw leaf for 20 days. Their consumption was about seven times the average consumption of Katuk by symptom-free Malaysians, which is three to six ounces a week, not a day. It was, it seems, too much of a good thing done wrongly. A 2006 study on rats showed that in a controlled experiment Katuk did help rats lose weight and reduce their triglycerides. Clearly it needs more research.
So, what does all this mean, beside don’t eat Katuk if you are taking something to open your blood vessels or lower your blood pressure? Enjoy Katuk as an addition to salads, a lawn-side nibble, and cooked in various dishes like you find in thousands of restaurants. Just don’t consume a half a pound of it a day raw for weeks or months and/or while taking an extract as well. I have been tossing a dozen leaves in my weekly salads for more than five years. I ain’t concerned.
Katuk’s nutritional content is outstanding: 49% protein, 18% fiber, vitamins A, B & C, potassium 2.77% (more than bananas at 1.48%); calcium 2.77% (dried skim milk is less than half that at 1.3%); phosphorus .61% (dried soybeans are at .55%); magnesium .55%; and even enough iron to mention.
Incidentally, in beast and woman, Katuk stimulates milk production. And no doubt out there somewhere in the world a man will eat a bushel a day and start lactating then we’ll have that to worry about, too.
Green Deane’s “Itemized” Plant Profile
IDENTIFICATION: Bush, upright with multiple stems, three to six feet high; dark-green, oval-shaped leaves 5-6 cm long. Flat, round, yellow to red flowers, small 1-2cm across, form in the leaf axils. In tropical climates, a purple capsule forms with small, black seeds. May need two different trees to fruit.
TIME OF YEAR: Here in central Florida it loses its leaves for a couple of months in our light winters, but has leave available for the rest of the year, blossoms in summer and fall. It is pest free.
ENVIRONMENT: Understory tree, likes some shade or full sun, prefers hot humid climate, can’t tolerate frost or freezing.
METHOD OF PREPARATION: Leaves, tips, flowers and fruits edible raw or cooked, raw in moderation
Hi, Could you please tell me where I can get a cutting or something of katuk? I live in Ft. Lauderdale and would really like to have some of this for my salads as I eat mostly raw and trying to do all raw. I’m looking for variety in my salads as well as grow my own greens as groceries are sky rocketing!!! Thank you for your information. Miriam
ECHO in Ft. Meyers should have some.
We went down to Echo this past Friday to purchase Katuk, Moringa and a grain. Also wanted to visit their aquaponics project as we have a pretty good thing for our family going on with aquaponics our self. Their web site did not inform us that they were closed for inventory and that the aquaponics tour was only on Tuesdays. So fine, we got a nice little tour of mostly stuff we were already familiar with anyhow. But like I said it was a nice outing for me and my wife who drove from Odessa (north of Tampa).
So I resigned myself to going back home and doing the dirty with the credit card on their online store. I hate using credit cards online. Guess what, I couldn’t find the Katuk on their website. So I made the call to their office. A very pleasant gentleman, in his very pleasant voice, informed me that they can not ship plants. I guess not even within Florida as I told him we were in Tampa. Guess they don’t sell the seeds either as he didn’t volunteer that information either.
Needless to say, though what they claim to be accomplishing with their 2 million in donations while only spending 14% on a degreed staff of 0ver around 50 souls; As well as the upkeep and maintenance on over 50 acres of study in Ft Meyers as well as three other satellite operations in other parts of the world does seem extraordinary, to say the least. I am, nevertheless, a little miffed by my experience with them.
So, you got any other suggestions as to where I can get some Katuk and Moringa? I really would prefer to not do business with these people.
I wonder if Andy Firk in Arcadia has these plants. He might. You can find him on Face Book.
OK. Thank you, I will look him up.
Here it is one week later and Mr.Andy Firk, was kind enough to ignore the email I sent him at your suggestion.
However, I was able to fill more than my needs, with abundance, by way of a volunteer (Bill Bilodeau) and officer at gaiasguardians.info. Turns out he was much closer to me anyhow. What he had came from his own yard so, I am not sure of the availability of more. But, gaiasguardians.info is a teaching/charitable project that deserves a look see and support.
Hi Don,
I realize that your experience was over a year ago, but if there is anything that I can do to encourage you to give ECHO another chance, I would love to know. We do have some challenges when it comes to customer service and I absolutely would have been incredibly frustrated to be in your situation.
I’m glad that you were able to acquire the Katuk from Bill. I’d be happy to organize an aquaponics tour for you if you are still interested. You can reach me at dflood@echonet.org
I’m in East Lake & have some katuk if you’re still interested in cuttings. I can’t find dates on this post so I’m not sure how long ago these comments are from. Email: bowen.tracy2012@gmail.com
Thank you for the heads up, Don. I am in Saint Petersburg, and your message is very helpful.
living roots eco design in St petersburg has Katuk. I got a plant there a couple months ago:)
Sears on Broward Blvd. (Broward Mall), leases out a beautiful nursery to a knowledgable woman. I bought Katuk and Everglades tomato plants from her.
I purchased eight of them from Amazon…they have very small live plants. I live in Fort Lauderdale, florida…I didn’t know where to put them, so placed them in my other plant containers, but now they are about two feet tall, and they taste like peanut butter to me, or nutty. I plan to plant them closer to my lake or surrounding my swimming pool area, where water splashes. Type in search bar in Amazon website: Lot of 5 Katuk Sauropus Androgynus Sweet Leaf Plant Cuttings from Hawaii..they are about $14 for about six to eight small plants. Just stick them in the ground and watch them grow! Hope this helps..
Tree Amigos in Davie FL has Katuk and many other landscaping edibles.
Hello, I am in TX and would like some Katuk! Do you sell cuttings?
Thanks,
Kassy
A harsh winter a few years ago kill my Katuk. Have you tire ECHO in Ft. Myers?
I am in Broward County (South Florida) and have 2 variegated Katuk plants. If anyone wants cuttings (pickup only) email: rroesler@hotmail.com
They are easy to grow and taste good. I have never fertilized or sprayed them. Bugs don’t bother them. They do topple over when they get bigger so do need pruning (as the author stated).
I also have Moringa, Chaya, Cassava, Cranberry Hibiscus and Edible Hibiscus cuttings. All cuttings are free but if you have something to trade that’s great.
Say TropicBob,
Why don’t you try tetraploidizing some katuk stem tips using colchicine? Should make for a (vegetatively, but that’s what you do anyway) propagatable more robust plant, with shorter internodes and thicker leaves.
Colchicine tetraploidization, with back-crossing with the diploid, wocan be used to give a triploid offspring — again, more robust, etc. And, propagatable ONLY vegetatively. Should be done with all species that have apparent potential for weedy invasiveness, that one wants to try out in introduced settings! (e.g., Melaleuca, autumn olive, goumi, etc.). Especially if they’re nitrogen fixers!
Hi, I’m looking for Moringa to add to my diet do you know where I can get some from or if you provide it from your trees? Many thanks!
You can try ECHO in Ft. Myers Fl.
Hi Tropic Bob!
Thanks for all you help. I would love to get some of your cuttings. I am a vegetarian and teach nutrition and health. I have started an organic garden and your cuttings would be a great addition!
Michelle
Wondering are you familiar with Graviola aka Sour Sop. Do you know where to find a seedling? I live near the Florida/Georgia line (zone 8) and I believe I can get some of your mentioned plants to survive, if not in the soil, then in a green house. Thanks.
Great article. Katuk is a fantastic plant. I’ve grown it in Panama where it is virtually unheard of yet does very well. In Vietnam it is a common edible green. I’ve never seen it in Africa… Grown with a lot of water it will develop long, tender shoots which can be eaten raw or steamed like asparagus. As Katuk is very easily propagated from woody and semi woody cuttings I have found it makes a useful guild species in agroforestry systems, planted around more delicate and valuable establishing fruit trees. When leafcutter ants are in the area they seem to prefer Katuk leaves to most fruit tree leaves.
I have a plant that I have had for 10 years that pretty much fits all the descriptions of Katuk growing here in Homestead Florida. I would like to send a cutting for identification to someone who can do it. Please send me an email and I will send you a cutting. I have to cut it back literally once a week and it now has a base about 8″ around.
Sending a picture or two over the internet is easier, and less costly.
Hi! I did not see if you got your plant analized to see if it is Katuk? I wanted too offer to do this for you. Now is a good time ad you should have both bew shoots abd old shoots. It is essiest ti identify if it’s Katuk with both new and old cuttings. I can also posibly identify which Katuk it is.
It is a good idea for a full physical identy. I don’t recommend you eating any plant with only a photo indication.
Katuk is an awesome plNt. There are many other plants that look like
Katuk but are not. It would be easy for us to identify.
Regards,
Peter
Hi,
I ate Katuk since I was a kid in Vietnam. I really love it. In my opinion, the best way is to cook Katuk with ground pork as soup. Remember to squeeze the leaves well before cook. I want to try growing Katuk in California. Do you know where to buy the seeds?
Thank you very much,
Thanh,
I believe Echo (based out of FL) occasionally has Katuk cuttings available. Depending on where you are in CA it might not be very happy during cooler winter months. But definitely worth trying.
I bought a small katuk plant at ECHO last winter. It has fluorished over summer and is my favorite salad green; nice nutty flavor; pretty little flowers; will try in a pasta salad. Hope to take some cuttings to give away as ot has grown so much it falls over
I have a katuk plant that has a lot of good size white berries on it, can those be eaten , if so do they need to be cooked? Also are they toxic to animals?
Only immature fruit are eaten after cooking.
I am from Grenada. I wish to grow this plant. Can someone send me some seeds of direct me to where I can get some seeds.
I have katuk in Trinidad and can send cuttings by boat to person in Grenada if they are still looking
Do you know anything about the fruits they grow? I think you can eat them too, but I’m not sure. All my plants are clones of one I got from ECHO, and they require cross-pollination to fruit. We had some seedlings once, but they died from a combination of freezing and being weeded out by poorly supervised volunteers, so we never got to see if they’d be able to fertilize each other.
I’ve been unimpressed with this plant. I expected it would grow back after being frozen, but most of the time it prefers to die. Much of the year it looks like it wants to die, and we’ve taken to calling it “kaput.”
I haven’t bothered to try to sell these or propagate many of them, but once in a while we get a request from someone who wishes to afflict themselves in the futile attempt to coax it into some form of productivity. I think Gainesville is just too far north for them. If it is being taken south of here, it will probably do better.
The immature fruits are cooked and eaten. I agree with you that outside of a tropical area the plant’s performace is understandably poor. Here in central Florida it rarely got more than a few feet high. I would blossom but never set.
I have one Katuk that I got from ECHO several years back. It’s in almost full shade and has done amazing. It fruited this year (alone) and yesterday I got a open fruit with the black seeds in it! They are 5 seeds and they are about 6mm each. I took several pictures as i have not had much luck finding images of them. (Although I haven’t looked very hard.) Although I just read “It could take up to 6 months for seeds to germinate.” (quote from: http://edibleplantproject.org/katuk/) I plan to give it a go! 🙂 I’m glad I read the SIX months thing, I would have given up!
It’s much easier to grow from woody cuttings.
Katuk grows like crazy here on my property in Hawaii! One plant has spawned into another and another all being about 4 feet tall and full of leaves. I usually nibble it while gardening and also toss about a dozen eaves in my salads from the garden. It is an awesome plant and just keeps giving new growth all the time!
Dan,
I live in Hawaii and I have been looking for this plant to grow for the longest time. I’ve never seen katuk sold in nurseries here, or even in farmers market or Chinatown! But I’ve had it before in soups and salads and love it! Can you tell me where to go to get hold of some katuk to grow?
I’ve have been looking for katuk for years here in Hawaii. I’ve never come across them in the local grocery stores, farmers’markets or even Chinatown. I’ve had katuk in soups and salads and I miss it! Can you tell me where I can get some cuttings to grow in my own yard? Thanks!
I, too, was looking for this plant. Couldn’t find any at my local grocery, farmer’s market, or at ChinaTown. I finally had to go to Amazon online to buy it. Hopefully it arrives in good condition.
I have been growing a katuk plant for a couple of years now. It has had fruit many times. I have not eaten the fruit, however will give it a try. It is very easy to grow from cuttings. I even have a couple that are volunteers. Do you still need a cutting/plant?
Hey there- thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I am slowly converting my Sanibel yard to food forest. Question about katuk. All the literature says to keep it pruned to under 3-4′, but I have not found specific instructions on HOW to prune it. My bush came from ECHO and is about 3′ tall. A single leader with regularly spaced single stems on the length of the plant. Does one prune to promote more vigorous side/outward growth or just when it gets too tall and gangly?
One prunes for growth.
Here in Indonesia, I usually cut just arbitrarily. usually when taking young leaves to eat.
Cut along with the stems, later it will branch (new shoots will grow) and the young leaves that are delicious to eat will be more and more.
This is also good because the tree will not grow too tall, making it easier to pick up the young leaves.
The leaves are old, hard and we don’t consume them.
Just received an email from http://www.rareseeds.com (baker creek heirloom seeds) – they are selling 2 plants of katuk for $9.95 plus shipping. these are cultured cell grown, not from cuttings.
Baker Creek heirloom is selling Katuk cuttings. I haven’t tried this variety, but get lots of other seeds from them.
http://www.rareseeds.com/katuk-2-plants-/
D’oh, I should read all the comments before I post…
Ik woon in Suriname en wil graag een katuk plant kan iemand mij
vertellen hoe ik eraan kom.
Translation: I live in Surinam and would like a katuk plant. Can someone tell me
tell how I can get one?
Is het je gelukt die katuk plantjes te vinden? (Did you manage to find those katuk plants?)
Hi, I volunteered at an ECHO event this last weekend. They had quite a few katuk for sale, as well as other plants and trees like the miracle fruit, edible hibiscus, and moringa. I think they have katuk seeds available. If you buy something from ECHO, they have general information sheets, but they also have people available to help with your questions. They have a wealth of information to share.
As for trying to get someone at the ECHO event on Saturday to answer questions, the special event required most of the paid staff and interns to be working outside and with the sessions. They had volunteers answering phones. The instructions were to refer people back to normal business hours 9-5 Monday thru Fri, and 9-4 on Sat, to help people.
Can anyone advise me on fertilizing katuk? I have two six-month old plants in pots (in hot, humid northern VA) and have found that they thrive here when kept in semi-shade and practically drowned with water. However, I’m beginning to get some yellowing leaves with green veins on the new growth. I assume they need fertilizer? Thanks!
You say you’ve practically drowned them with water. Yellow leaves are a symptom of overwatering. Cut back in the water.
I understand the logic of dismissing the lung issue based on the high dosages in that fad diet, but what about the separate liver issue also attributable to the papaverine? I’ve got a bunch of katuk plants growing and I like it, but I’m trying to learn about this before I adopt it as a regular food. I was recently advised by a local rare plant expert to avoid eating katuk beyond small amounts because of the liver issue. He said that its popularity has dropped dramatically in recent decades after people became aware of the liver issue. I’ll keep googling, but it would be good if this article was updated to cover this key issue.
When I google “Katuk Liver” I do not find any dire medical research warning about eating Katuk and ones liver. In fact there are quite a few positive animal studies. If you could suggest a few research projects that indict Katuk regarding the liver please let me know. Where papaverine is indicated as a problem is when people are prescribed it, which is a much large dose than eating it, often over many years, and without the other chemicals that come in the leaf. The selenium in Brazil nuts reduce prostate cancer. Selenium supplements increase it. I would not be surprised if there is quite a difference between occasional plant consumption of papaverine vs a regular refined prescription.
Thank you so much for stating this about the varied chemical properties of plants vs the man-made isolated, concentrated, bastardized, perversion!!! I have gotten so many dire warnings about the “weeds” I eat…invariably by those taking handfuls of toxic pharmaceuticals, and it makes me want to scream! Bad enough the drug industry thinks it can trump nature, but almost everyone buys into the fallacy! Strange and wonderful species we are, eh? Isn’t it funny how every other species on the planet know how to care for themselves, except our “brilliant” one, and the unfortunate animals we associate with? If it wasn’t so sad, it might be funny.
Hi so you know where I can find katuk seeds
Tanks
Best regards
Lúcio
Hi Lucio,
Last week I bought a small katuk plant (about 17 cm) from Hirt’s Gardens via Amazon.com. With shipping it was about $14 USD. It arrived 2 days later in great condition and I transferred it from its little pot to my garden. I can see that it is already growing.
I think that is the best way to get started with katuk.
Good luck!
Russ
I enjoyed reading the article and discussion. I am the founding CEO of ECHO (1981-2008), now an ECHO volunteer. Some years ago we spent considerable time trying to find a way to reliably get katuk seeds to germinate so we could send it to countries where it cannot be located. As I recall we got a few plants but decided to drop the idea.
Could you give me the reference to where you got the quantitative information about how much katuk the people were eating in Taiwan/Japan? I’ve read many of the medical articles (admitedly some time ago) and never found specifics.
Here is advice I give concerning eating anything new and especially perennial vegetables like katuk, chaya, etc. “Learn to eat like a goat, not a cow.” First concerning toxins, how do you suppose perennial vegetables survive for years given all that nature can throw at them in our hot, humid climate. My katuk row at home is thriving since 1988 without any disease or insect problem. Probably they survive because they have one or several nasty chemicals. But our liver can detoxify modest amounts of almost anything.
My wife and I consciously plan to eat like a goat, not like a cow. If a cow, being a grazer, finds something it likes it can eat huge amounts. The goat is a browser. It will sample one plant after another. In the course of a couple weeks the goat has consumed a modest amount of everything the local plant community has to offer. So we don’t need to fret about whether we’re getting enough of a particular vitamin because we’re consuming maybe 12-20 kinds of plants each week. Also, if there is a toxin, it (or we) will have eaten far less than the cow and its liver will probably have destroyed any toxins.
Great advice, and also what I have been doing unconsciously because I crave variety!
Hello everyone!
I just came across this site after looking on Google if there are “cangkuk manis” in the States. Katuk is my top favorite vegetable here in Malaysia. Its good to know that its available there as well. But I was wondering if there are people producing this in bulk? I would be moving to New York in a few years, and definitely wont be able to plant this there. If there is a place where I can buy it in the south and have it shipped to me up north, I will live a very happy life knowing I can still have cangkuk manis when the cravings come. Cook it with eggs and oyster sauce, or with pumpkin and coconut milk. yumm…
Thinking about leaving Malaysia, I worry most about having to leave so many dishes I grew up loving. The one thing that I dread about not being able to eat the most is Durian! ahahaha!
I was searching Internet for recipes for the Katuk berries – my plants are quite prolific. I live in SW Florida and was thinking could probably ship or mail some to you. But depending on where you live you might be able to grow a couple of bushes with grow lights and misters!
I have been sautéing and adding egg, or making soups and salads with it. If you have any special recipes for it I would love to try them!
Googling with the words “sayur daun katuk”
This is the simplest one, it can also be cook without corn,
https://cookpad.com/id/resep/4423367-sayur-bening-daun-katuk-jagung
Can also be cooked in various variations using coconut milk, stir-fry, etc.,
https://asri78.wordpress.com/2010/08/01/sayur-daun-katuk/
https://bunda-inong.blogspot.com/2015/03/sayur-katuk-santan-putih.html
https://resepkoki.id/resep/resep-sayur-katuk-kuah-santan/
https://www.hipwee.com/tips/resep-daun-katuk/
I am a volunteer and Docent at ECHO in North Fort Myers, Florida. I have Katuk at my condo. It grows very tall (about 8 feet.) and receives no help from me. Started from cuttings.
We mostly just add it to traditional salads because my wife is not very adventurous and she is the cook but I like to grow plants others do not.
Charlie,
Would you be able to spare a few seeds? I live in a tropical area and would love to try it. Ty in advance.
I sell organic katuk seeds and cuttings. I can ship you organic katuk seeds! Just email me at divinediscoveries@hotmail.com
Hi, I’m finding katuk nutrition facts but I didn’t find much information on Google. Above, I saw you wrote about the percentage but I would like to know the exact details. Can you please tell me about it? I specially concerabout n the amount of fiber and magnesium in katuk.
I live on a sailboat in Cooktown in the far north east of Australia, and I can tell you this great little shrub grows better when you are using it regularly than when you leave it uncut. So, trim it and/or use it and it grows more than one inch per day. Leave it to its own devices and it does not do so well!
Thanks for the comment, and so far away, too…
Hi Gay, good to hear that it grows so well in far north east Australia. I live in Perth, WA and it is pretty challenging growing them in Perth. I have a few cuttings from a friend and I put them in water and at first, they started to have leaves and little ‘buds’ that look as if roots may be forming. Then a few leaves from most of the cuttings start shrivelling. Can I plant them into the soil at this stage? I also have a plant that is 3 feet tall and I am wondering whether I should cut the stems to propagate them and how often should I trim it?
I just bought a katuk plant at the rare fruit councils plant sale in west Palm Beach. The tag on the plant was from “Spencer’s Farm Fresh Jupiter Farms.”
Hi, I’m finding katuk nutrition facts but I didn’t find much information on Google. Above, I saw you wrote about the percentage but I would like to know the exact details. Can you please tell me about it? I specially concern about the amount of fiber and magnesium in katuk.
I also purchased plants (katuk, mango, moringa, rambutan) from the Rare Fruit Council in a West Palm Beach. I asked about GMO’s and a woman told me that they were organic and against GMO plants. I too had a tag in at least one of my plants from Spencer’s in Jupiter (which I’m trying to research now) which leads me to believe a lot of different people were involved in the Rare Fruit Council effort, and so I am a little concerned about the quality control. Is it possible to have GMO katuk and moringa?
Katuk and Moringa are not GMO. Really, there’s not many plants that are GMO but unfortunately, those that are, are used in almost all processed foods. For more info on what’s GMO or not, please check this site: http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/what-is-gmo/
Regarding the Rare Fruit Council, it is not unusual at all for plant societies to buy plants for resale.
Hi there!
I recently learned of Katuk from a support group for mothers with low milk supply. We are having trouble sourcing anything but the plant, which most of us can’t grow in our climates. Do you have any pointers or links that might help?
Thank you very much!
Aloha Christine. I can ship you organic katuk seeds or cuttings! Just email me at divinediscoveries@hotmail.com
I notice many questions about how fast katuk will grow and tolerance to cold. I’ve grown katuk at ECHO (N. Ft. Myers in SW Florida) since 1981 and then at my home near there since 1988. When we built our home I planted a small row of katuk, maybe 6-8 plants under the north eaves of our house, with a 2 foot overhang. They are growing in Florida sand, almost never fertilized. Every year they reach the overhang of the roof and then bend over. I then need to prune with clippers or a hedge trimmer. I cut back to or near to the oldest wood, maybe 3-4 feet tall. This year I trimmed in April and already in October they have again reached the overhang. During the winter, both at my house and at ECHO, katuk (as well as moringa and many tropical leaves) are best described as “not dead.” The katuk leaves become tough and unappealing until it warms up around the end of February. We boil quantities of the leaves (and sometimes puree them) and freeze in small packets ready to add when wished to vegetable-based soups that Bonnie prepares for most days at lunch.
I’m trying to find katuk seeds. I live out of the US and can’t send a plant here. Anyone know where I can find seeds. Thanks
Hi, Dr. Price! Like Martin, I like in SW Fl and have katuk growing in my yard, east side aof the house and east side under some cedars. Morning sun with afternoon shade. It takes no fertilizer and gets no insect damage, yet grows like crazy. I do have some seeds that I can send if you email me your address, and the USPS doesn’t object 🙂
Hi Mary,
Read about your katuk plant seeds you were offering to Mr Martin Price. Would you be able to send me some? I live in NM , have a small green house to keep my tropical plants alive over winter months. I do have seeds of ” indian spinach ” another nutritious vining plant with vigorous growth and may be able to spare a small plant of ” Indian curry” leaves if you are interested. I even have a 1 yr old ” murunga” plant growing in a pot inside my greenhouse !
Please let me know if you still have the katuk seeds.
Regards,
Sudha
I would love a few Katuk seeds. I live in a very tropical area. Thank you in advance.
I can ship you organic katuk seeds! Just email me at divinediscoveries@hotmail.com
My katuk here is SWFl regularly produces seeds, altho I can’t say how viable they are. ECHO may be able to send you seeds. I know they sell the plants. email them at info@echonet.org.
Aloha, Kathy! I can ship you organic katuk seeds! Just email me at divinediscoveries@hotmail.com
I have two plants on my back porch in pots in Orlando and they set fruit. I neglect them and they are spindly plants but very tenacious. The Homegrown Co-op here sells plants for 14.99.
Nice website, and great info on Sauropus androgynous, however … where did you get the idea of 49% protein from? Possibly a typo, as 5-6.5% is more accurate.
Hi,
I am thinking of growing Katuk plant but I live in New York City. Does anyone know if the plant can thrive indoor (because I do not think it will thrive outdoor in here).
Thanks.
It definitely will not survive a New York Winter outside. What might be problematic is the lack of adequate sun that time of year.
Just moved to Grand Turk in TCI. Looking to build a garden with edible plants. Katuk looks like it would grow here. Is there anyone who would ship plants to the Caribbean?
I can ship you organic katuk seeds! Just email me at divinediscoveries@hotmail.com
I live in Odessa, Florida. Have Katuk coming outta’ my ears. Growing in shade, growing in sun, in the garden and in the flower beds. Last year got to around eight feet tall. The only one that flowered and fruited was the one in my garden, It’s in pretty rich soil and gets about six ours of mid day sun a day. Our preferred method of cooking and eating is the first few inches of the growing tips with a couple of the leaf stems still attached, steamed with no seasoning. The stuff is extremely easy to propagate by cuttings, but I also had some come up from seeds dropped from the garden plants. I have had ours for about three years and have never seen any pests on the plants.
Hi Don,
Would you be able to send me some katuk plant seeds if I send you a self addressed stamped envelope? I live in NM , have a small green house to keep cuttings from my tropical plants alive over winter months. I do have seeds of ” indian or malabar spinach ” another nutritious vining plant with vigorous growth producing edible leaves/ shoots through out summer maybe winter time too in your zone 9 .
I may be able to spare a small plant of ” Indian curry leaves ” if you are interested.
Please let me know if you still have the katuk seeds.
Regards,
Sudha
I have these seeds ready to send. Just email me. divinediscoveries@hotmail.com Mahalo!
https://custom-light-fixtures.com/
What is the best way of cutting it? Only the leaves, or the whole branch?
I have katuk growing in my yard that I purchased at ECHO. I’ve been tossing a little to my chickens. I gave some to some young ones 2-3 months. In the morning 3 were dead.
None were sick before or after. I won’t give it to the young chickens any more. And I don’t eat it much either. Just a couple leave for me or the adult chickens now.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Is this confirmed by other people/readers elsewhere? I have just read 3 studies about adults chickens fed wih katuk and I mostly found good news… [PDF] “Reduction of Fat Accumulation in Broiler Chickens by Sauropus …” – (2) “Effect of Sauropus Androgynus (Kat
uk) Extract on Egg Production and Lipid
Metabolism in Layers” – (3) “Performances and Egg Quality of Quail Offered Feed Containing Sterol from Katuk (Sauropus …”. I am a human male. I would love to lactate.
For a useful reference on excessive katuk consumption leading to serious lung damage see
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2015/714158/ (and scroll down to Section 7. Sauropus androgynus Induced Bronchiolitis Obliterans )
Note that 9 people died in Taiwan due to that fad diet. So please only eat it in moderation. The Malaysians have been eating this (in moderation) historically with no reported problems.
That article also has a nutritional analysis of katuk leaves (Table 1). There is a lot of confusion on the net with some sites stating about 5% protein. It is also widely reported that there is 49% protein. I believe this discrepancy is because the latter sites failed to mention that it was 49% protein in a dried sample and 5% protein in a fresh sample (the leaves are 80% to 90% water). Ditto for calcium, etc.
Hope this clarifies.
I am relocating from Lee County Florida to Alachua County. I have begun some cuttings of katuk in small pots to take with me. I will also bring moringa seeds. If I protect the plants during cold will they survive?
Because of the high protein content the katuk is especially important to my nearly free of animal protein “diet”.
The moringa can come back but the Katuk is picky. But Ft. Myers south is where it can do fairly well.
I got one plant at ECHO about 10 years ago and now it is a 30′ hedge along the west side of my house in Clearwater. It does great here. Stick a cutting in the ground and it grows and lots of berries every year. I had a moringa tree from a seed, but my husband cut it down when it got to be about 12′ tall. I had put it too close to other trees and it started growing sideways.
I have 100% organic katuk and moringa seeds for sale for $1 up, sending out via USPS daily. Anyone looking for these seeds are welcome to email me. I also have a large collection of other tropical seeds. Mahalo!
You can get ahold of me by emailing me here:
divinediscoveries@hotmail.com
Please include a link to your facebook or any other social media account so I can see you are a real person and not a bot.
You can also contact me at my custom lighting website:
https://custom-light-fixtures.com/
I am retired to the Philippines, and just got some seeds from Thailand. It might be grown here, but nobody I’ve met knows of it. Not that I’m surprised by that. I’m in a medium sized city where nobody knows anything – never heard of molasses, never heard of steel wool, never heard of passionfruit – all things that are used, sold and well known in other parts of the Philippines! I’d move, but my wife’s family is from here and she doesn’t want to move.
Have you tried growing the katuk under your Moringa tree? It would provide some shade. I tip pruned our Moringa to encourage bushiness, and it is much wider than if left unpruned.
Thanks for posting. I grew my Katuk near a mulberry tree. That wasn’t planned but it was convenient.
I live in Orlando
Does anyone have plants to get some cuttings?
BK
I have katuk growing in East Orlando and would be happy to share some cuttings with you.
Hi Suzy,
Reading about Katuk on this site and ran across your offer…
Are you still offering? how much would it cost for a few clippings to mail to Louisiana?
I really want to try and grow it.
Thanks
Darlene Thomas
9219 Oak Plaza
Denham Springs Louisiana 70726
My mother katuk plant is about two years old and is loaded with katuk berries. Raw they taste like sugar snap peas but a bit grainier. When they fully ripen (if) they should drop their seeds. Does anyone have a recipe for the berries??? We don’t like the leaves as much. It grew to the roof line (8-9 feet) the first year. I cut it back and potted the cuttings. They are also growing berries. The mother plant is past due for another cutting, just waiting for the berry production to end. Thinking about using tomato cages to help them stay upright when tall.
hello everybody, I have brain cancer and heard that katuk was good for it. does anyone know if this is true or not? please lmn??? jeffreyPrescott166@gmail.com ty and godbless
Katuk, is very easy to grow here in tropical climate. Just put a branch of the tree in soil, it will grow easily.
From my experience, its very good for mother’s milk ( can consume when pregnant), It will make milk rich in capacity and nutrients.
I also never heard peoples have problems with the leaf.
Its delicious if cook with some water, garlic (bawang putih), red onions (bawang merah) and some salt. Mix with baby corn will make it perfect.
If you like spicy, you can put slice of chilli or pepper powder.
Give 1-2 tsp sugar also make it great.
Or if you want it simple, just boil it with enough water and eat it with chili sauce. The chili sauce here is usually very spicy, unlike chili sauce for burgers. But its ok if you like it.
Regards, from Indonesia.
Hi
I was in Kentucky over the Labor Day weekend, & spotted some small ornamental shrubs with berries that were nearly identical to Kayukawa berries. Does anyone know what this look alike might be?
I bought a katuk plant from ECHO many years ago and now have multiple plants. It seeded itself and volunteered in other plant pots. We’re in Tarpon Springs, FL. If there’s someone wanting to start growing katuk themselves. We can help with rooted plants or with cuttings. We also have moringa, cranberry hibiscus, various banana species, papaya, and LOADS of longevity spinach, among other things. We like to share and/or swap.
I recently purchased a katuk plant from an Etsy store. They claimed it was this precise species. Sauropus androgynus. And indeed structurally, it looks very similar to the photos presented in this article.
But the leaves on my plant have a distinctive lighter milky area in the center of each leaf.
Since your identification list doesn’t mention this white patch as a potential feature, I thought I’d inquire and ask if the plant is known to have them, and if so, do you happen to know what causes it?
Thank you for your very informative website.
…Perhaps its growing conditions…
I would go with you have the Variegated version, which has a creamy white center of various sizes and even can be patchy or almost fully creamy colored. If it has the structure, the flowers, and the berries, then it’s a Katuk with Bi-Color fun in the sun.
You can purchase katuk at:
Tree Amigos Growers
10900 SW 48 ST
Davie, Florida 33328
+1 786-343-5681
info@treeamigosgrowers.com
I got my variagated katuk there and it is organic and fabulous.
This is probably too late, but if anyone in Broward has a source for Katuk cuttings, I’d be interested in them!
Thanks!
The Delray Beach Community Garden has some Katuk plants for sale.
Thank you so much for the article! We are in Orlando area. Wondering if I could buy a cutting from you
Thanks for writing and being so close. Unfortunately I had the Katuk at a house I had more than 20 years ago and no longer have and there is none there now.
Hi Angela,
We live in Polk county. I’m happy to give you some cuttings of our Katuk if you ever are in our area.
Katuk thrives on my Farm in Costa Rica, can almost be invasive if not harvested.
Check out Pete Kanaris on YouTube
Sand Hill Farm – He ships plants
You should be able to find your heart’s desire.
I live in Orlando and purchased 4 cuttings about 2 years back. 3 of them I planted on the side of my house, right next to the house up against a fence. I have a 2 storey house right next to me so they are pretty sheltered and get intermittent sun. The one that is planted closest to the fence is about 7′ tall now. The others are about 4′ and 5′. I have another that I never got out of the pot and it is 4′. The ones planted area right by a sprinkler so they get water 2 times a week and the potted one gets water when I dump some in while watering my veggies. They have all fruited and don’t lose all their leaves in the winter. I think it is because they are very protected from the elements that they are doing so well.
Hello Dean,
Do you know if Katuk seeds contain enough fiber to be used in baking? I am experimenting with Cassava sourdough for making bread and want to use a plentiful (to me) fiber source to make the bread bind better. My scenario is SHTF where there is no access to stores, so we have to make bread from what we grow or have stocked up.
I am going to try pigeon pea flour first because I have enough of that available right now. I will let you know the results if you are interested.
Cheers,
Darren