Commiphora wightii aka Indian Bdellium Tree

Commiphora wightii is a shrub in Burseraceae, the frankincense family. People call it guggul or Indian bdellium-tree. Its home range spans Oman, southern Pakistan, and western India. It grows in dry scrub, on rocky hills, and on sand. Both wild plants and grown plants yield its valued gum-resin. Heavy harvest has cut some wild stocks, most of all toward the south.

This shrub grows slowly, with many branches tipped with spines. Garden guides give its height and spread as 13 feet [4 metres]. Other accounts say it can reach 20 feet [6 metres]. Plants take eight to ten years to reach 10–11.5 feet [3–3.5 metres]. Thin bark peels from the stems in sheets like paper. Leaves may be whole or split into three leaflets. The shrub sheds its leaves; it does not keep them year-round.

Pink to red flowers give way to small, round fruits. Not all plants bear the same kinds of flowers. One form has male flowers and flowers with both sexes. A second has female flowers whose stamens do not work. Stamens are the male parts of a flower. The sources say the species cannot use its own pollen to set fruit. Female plants seem to need pollen from the first form for normal fruit. The accounts give no bloom season. They name no creature that moves the pollen.

Grow guggul in full sun and soil that drains well. It suits sand and loam, even soil low in nutrients. It grows in slightly acid, neutral, or slightly alkaline soil. Dry or moist soil suits it, and it withstands drought. Its home climate is warm, with little rain. PFAF lists USDA zones 10–12 for growing it. Prune young plants to gain thicker branches and more gum. The sources name no specific pests or diseases.

Its spines make it useful as a barrier hedge. Growers cut bark on thick branches in winter for gum-resin. In its dry home climate, plants need about ten years before tapping. People use the resin in incense, perfume, and Ayurvedic medicine. Past uses include treating muscle rheumatism and lowering blood cholesterol. These uses do not prove that a treatment works. PFAF lists the inner bark as fit to eat. It calls the gum bitter and pungent, or sharp-tasting. People also use young twigs as sticks to clean teeth. The sources report no known hazards. That does not mean they have proved it safe.