Bael

Bael is a slow-growing, thorny deciduous tree of the citrus family with aromatic trifoliate leaves, fragrant greenish-white flowers and large, round fruits with a hard woody shell and sweet, fragrant orange pulp. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and grows across India, including Kerala, often near temples.

The fruit, root and leaves are used. Ayurveda calls it Bilva, and its unripe fruit is traditionally used for digestive wellness. The root is one of the ten roots of Dashamula, and the leaves are sacred offerings to Shiva.