Kafal (box myrtle)

Myrica esculenta

The red spring berry of Uttarakhand songs; sweet-tart, sold in paper cones in hill bazaars.

Type: small tree · berries and small fruit
Hardiness: zones 8 to 10
Light: part shade
Size: about 30 ft tall, 20 ft wide
Harvest: April to May
From: Himalayan foothills
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.

Good for: food, fixing nitrogen in the soil, wildlife.

Native to: Himalaya & Indian hill country. Hardy in zones 8 to 10.

The story

Kafal is the spring berry of the Himalayan foothills, sold in paper cones in the bazaars of Nainital and Almora, and sung about in Garhwali and Kumaoni folk songs; the kafal pako bird is said to call its name when the berries ripen. Village children race to the trees in May.

Planting

Part shade, moist, drained acid soil, and a mild mountain climate; it fixes nitrogen. Plant a seedling; male and female, so plant several.

Growing

Water through dry spells and mulch; it dislikes lime and hard frost. No pruning needed.

Harvest and use

Berries ripen red in late spring; sweet-tart with a resinous note. Eat fresh within hours; they do not keep.

What to watch for

Drought and frost.

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More berries and small fruit

General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home