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GENERAL
Origin
:
tropical
Vigour
:
fast growing
Humidity
:
very humid,
extremely humid
Propagation :
sowing and
pricking out,
cuttings, aerial
layering
Maintenance :
low
CONDITIONS
Urban climate :
resistant
Dessication :
vulnerable
Stagnant water :
vulnerable
Irrigation
:
high
Salinity/ppm :
high (4000 ppm)
Hardiness
:
+3°C
SHAPE
Type
:
tree
Height
:
10 m-25 m
Spread
:
8 m-15 m
Foliage
:
evergreen
FLOWER
Colour
:
pale yellow,
margin: pale red
Period
:
March - May
FRUIT
Type of fruit :
pod
Fruit size
:
15 cm - 20 cm
Toxicity
:
produced for
food, edible
The Tamarind Tree, native to Africa and southeast Asia, and known in Arabic as tamar hindi, is
a large, slow-growing tree which can reach up to 20 metres high. It has a rounded, dense crown
of foliage, a short massive trunk and drooping branches. The bright-green, fine, feathery leaves
are evergreen, elliptical and pinnately compound, with 10–18 pairs of 2-cm oblong leaflets. The
leaflets close up at night. The Tamarind drops its leaves in dry seasons. It flowers inconspicuous-
ly, with red and yellow elongated flowers borne in small racemes. The velvety, cinnamon-brown
pods are up to 15 cm long, sausage-shaped and constricted between the seeds. The fleshy, juicy
pulp surrounding the seeds is both sweet and sour. Highly wind-resistant, the tree grows best in
full sun in clay, loam, deep alluvial and acidic soils, as well as on limestone, and is moderately
salt-tolerant. It is also frost-sensitive; young trees should be protected from cold. Although fairly
drought-tolerant, the Tamarind needs regular irrigation. Propagation is by seed and also from
cuttings, or air-layering. One of the major pests is the Oriental yellow scale, as well as several
other scale species and insects such as mealybugs, nematodes, caterpillars, whitefly, thrips, cow
bugs and the tamarind beetle. A bacterial leaf-spot may also occur. Tamarinds are grown as or-
namental shade and street trees, and for their edible pods: beautiful and fine-textured, they make
excellent specimen trees. Often planted in parks, once established they need very little attention.
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Tamarindus indica,
Caesalpiniaceae
Tamarind Tree,
tamar hindi