Limonia acidissima, commonly known as wood apple, is a tough, drought-resistant tree native to South and Southeast Asia. It grows in dry forests, village groves, and along roadsides, producing round fruits with a hard shell and brown, sticky pulp that’s used in local chutneys, drinks, and traditional medicine. The tree plays an important role in rural food traditions and is well adapted to hot, dry climates.
However, the common names “wood apple” and “elephant apple” often create confusion. Limonia acidissima is sometimes called “elephant apple,” but that name more correctly belongs to Dillenia indica, a different tropical tree with similar-looking fruit. To complicate things further, Bael Aegle marmelos, another hard-shelled fruit from the same plant family as Limonia, is also called “wood apple” in some areas. Despite their overlapping names and traditional uses, these three species are botanically distinct. Using scientific names is the best way to tell them apart.
Names
Scientific
Limonia acidissima
Synonym
Feronia elephantum
Feronia limonia
English
Curd fruit
Elephant apple
Elephant-apple
Monkey fruit
Wood apple
Wood-apple
Dutch
Houtappel
Olifantsappel
German
Elefantenapfel
Indische Holzapfel
Taxonomy
Order
Sapindales
Family
Rutaceae
Genus
Limonia
Species
Limonia acidissima (Wood apple)
Crop categories
Fruits
Minor crops
Subtropical crops
Tropical crops