Botanical atlas
Blackboard Tree
Alstonia scholaris
Alstonia scholaris carries centuries of reputation across South and Southeast Asian folk medicine, where its intensely bitter bark was steeped, powdered, or fermented into tonics for fevers, malaria, and chronic diarrhea long before quinine reached local villages. In Ayurveda it is called saptaparni, meaning seven leaves, a nod to the whorled ring of leaves that circles each branch, and it appears in classical texts as a bitter tonic for the digestion and the blood. Healers in India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia also turned to the leaves and milky latex for skin sores and respiratory complaints, treating the tree as something close to a village pharmacy standing at the forest edge. Its towering, almost otherworldly presence and strongly scented night flowers also earned it a place in local folklore, where some communities considered it a tree best approached with caution or respect.
In tradition.
Alstonia scholaris carries centuries of reputation across South and Southeast Asian folk medicine, where its intensely bitter bark was steeped, powdered, or fermented into tonics for fevers, malaria, and chronic diarrhea long before quinine reached local villages. In Ayurveda it is called saptaparni, meaning seven leaves, a nod to the whorled ring of leaves that circles each branch, and it appears in classical texts as a bitter tonic for the digestion and the blood. Healers in India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia also turned to the leaves and milky latex for skin sores and respiratory complaints, treating the tree as something close to a village pharmacy standing at the forest edge. Its towering, almost otherworldly presence and strongly scented night flowers also earned it a place in local folklore, where some communities considered it a tree best approached with caution or respect.
The tradition we can stand behind has no household remedy for this plant, so we list none. If that changes as the library grows, this page will grow with it.
Safety.
The bark and latex contain potent alkaloids that can cause vomiting and dizziness in excess, and the tree's strongly scented flowers are a known respiratory allergen linked to asthma flare-ups. Avoid ingesting any part of this plant.
Our sister app HerbLens identifies blackboard tree from a photo and keeps its full botanical portrait: growing guide, harvest notes, and look-alike warnings.
View on HerbLensAsk HerbSense how blackboard tree is traditionally used and what to know before trying anything at home.
Ask about Blackboard TreeHerbSense shares traditional herbal knowledge for education, not diagnosis or treatment. Herbs can interact with medicines and conditions. Speak with your doctor before acting on anything here, and seek care promptly for anything severe, sudden, or worsening.