Blood fruit is a woody climber and it is very popular among tribes in the Northeastern states, Andaman and Nicobar islands and Bangladesh. The fruit is not only tasty and rich in anti-oxidant but is also a good source of dye for the local handicraft industry.
The plant, which goes by the biological name of Haematocarpusvalidus, flowers once in a year. The main fruiting season is from April to June. Initially, the fruits are green in colour and they turn blood red on ripening giving the name ‘Blood Fruit’. Generally, the fruits from the Andaman Islands are much darker in colour compared to other sources.
The plant grows wild in forests and over the years, due to growing demand for its fruit, it has been indiscriminately harvested from natural forests. This has affected natural regeneration and it is now considered a critically endangered species. Now researchers have developed a standard nursery protocol for its propagation.The new research will help in blood fruit to be grown in agricultural fields or home gardens, so that it is conserved even while being continued to be used as a source of nutrition and dye.