Along with the visually appealing, bright blossoms, and majestic appearance, King of the Forest plant has many more to offer.
King of the Forest(Cassia alata) is native to South America and is also called Candle Bush due to its erect appearance.
To know more about King of the Forest in detail with the potential health benefits, go through this entire article.
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What Does King of the Forest Plant Look Like?
King of the Forest is a perennial shrub or a small tree that grows up to 15 feet tall. The canopy of this plant is very dense due to heavy branching patterns.
The leaves of this plant are large and can reach about 8 inches in length. These foliage are bright green in color and have a coarse texture.
Additionally, this plant bears beautiful bright yellow blossoms in clusters. The flowers stay erect at the tips of the branches and look just like a candle.
After the flower fades, the plant develops brown to black seed pods that contain triangular seeds.
Benefits of King of The Forest
As an attractive plant, King of the Forest can enhance the aesthetic appeal of your garden during the flowering season. Thus, this plant can benefit you with its ornamental properties.
However, there are several medicinal benefits of this amazing plant that you might not know.
- The anti-inflammatory properties of the plant help to relieve pain, swelling, and other inflammation.
- Antioxidants present in the flowers of King of the Forest help in repairing cell damage and prevent further damage.
- This plant is also rich in antimicrobial agents preventing you from various bacterial and fungal infections.
- People also believe that the flower extract also helps in fighting internal parasites. However, there is a lack of scientific evidence.
- The leaf extract of King of the Forest is beneficial in treating skin infections like scabies, ringworm, itching, etc.
King of the Forest Recipe
Besides the recipes below, you can prepare various other dishes like dressings, toppings, salsa, etc.
However, people usually do not prefer to consume this plant as some of its parts like seeds are toxic and cause various health hazards. So, it’s better to use only the young buds and flowers in a minimal amount.
If you have small children at home and don’t want them to consume the toxic seeds, deadhead the flowers as soon as they start to fade.
1. King Of The Forest Tea
To prepare King of the Forest tea, you need fresh or dried leaves, 2 cups of water, and honey or sugar to taste.
- Pour 2 cups of water into a pan and heat until it boils.
- Put a small amount of fresh or dried leaves and let it boil for an extra 5 minutes.
- Make sure the mixture is boiled properly to avoid the toxic effects.
- Pour the tea into the cup and add honey depending on your taste.
- Serve King of the Forest tea hot.
2. King Of The Forest Curry
Cassia alata curry is a popular dish in Sri Lanka. You cannot prepare curry with the leaves alone, but combine them with other vegetables.
- Heat oil in the pan and saute onions and chilies.
- After the onions become golden brown, add turmeric, ginger-garlic paste, and tomatoes. Cook for 5 more minutes.
- After that add other vegetables along with King of the Forest leaves and cook until soft.
- Pour some water and cook until the mixture comes in a gravy-like consistency. Add salt to taste.
- Serve the curry with steamed rice.
3. King Of The Forest Salad
Cassia alata salad is a popular dish in Indonesia. To prepare this dish, you need onions, cucumber, tempeh, cilantro, lime juice, and grated ginger.
- In a non-stick pan, fry tempeh until golden brown.
- In a salad bowl, mix onion, cucumber, and Cassia alata leaves.
- Add salt, grated ginger, and cilantro.
- Pour about 2 tablespoons of lime juice and mix the salad well.
- Serve the salad and consume it immediately.
From Editorial Team
King Of The Forest Toxicity Information!
Although the minimal amount of young leaves and buds does not cause potential harm, consuming mature leaves, stems and seeds can be extremely harmful.
The symptoms include extreme gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, etc. Consult your doctor or healthcare professionals if any of these symptoms appear after consuming parts of this plant.
