Growing curry leaf plant outdoors

*Murraya koenigii* -- the curry leaf tree -- is a tropical and subtropical plant native to South and Southeast Asia. Its leaves are essential to South Indian, Sri Lankan, and Malaysian cooking, where they are tempered in hot oil at the start of cooking to release aromatic compounds. Fresh or frozen.

Murraya koenigii — the curry leaf tree — is a tropical and subtropical plant native to South and Southeast Asia. Its leaves are essential to South Indian, Sri Lankan, and Malaysian cooking, where they are tempered in hot oil at the start of cooking to release aromatic compounds. Fresh or frozen leaves from home-grown plants have a completely different character from the dried leaves sold in jars at most American supermarkets, which are largely flavorless. Growing your own is the only reliable way to access fresh curry leaf in North America outside of South Asian grocery stores.

I don't grow curry leaf at my zone 7a Long Island plot. The plant would require year-round container culture and indoor overwintering, which is manageable but requires planning. This guide is sourced from Extension and university publications.

This article contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases - at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we have personally tested or that are the universal first recommendation from university Extension publications. See our full disclosure.

Identification

Per Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Murraya koenigii is a small tree or shrub reaching 6-15 feet in the ground (smaller in containers). It has pinnate leaves with 11-21 small, ovate leaflets with a distinctive aromatic scent. It produces small white flowers and black berries when mature. Do not confuse it with sweet neem (Azadirachta indica), which has similar-looking leaves but no culinary use.

The "curry plant" (Helichrysum italicum) is a completely different plant — a Mediterranean herb with silver foliage and a curry-like scent — and is not a substitute for curry leaf in cooking.