Trees in India
Trees in India known for their grandeur and majesty are like the green pearl in the Indian crown. Trees occupy the important place in the history of India. Trees have always been associated with wisdom and immorality in India. Hindu literature describes a celestial tree as having its roots in the heaven and its branches in the underworld that unites and connects beings of every kind. Banyan is the National Tree of India. India's medicinal are no less diverse. Peepal, banyan (Bodhi tree), banana, and Tulsi are some of the plants that holds special cultural and religious significance in India. Indian Rosewood, Kikar, Aleo Vera, Ashwagandha, Cork, Brahmi, Sal, Khair and Garden Asparagus are some of the popular trees grown in India.
Banyan is the National Tree of India. It has the widest reaching roots of all known trees, easily covering several hectares. It is said that at one time more than 10, 000 people can sit under its shade at one time.
Other names : Bargad, Bor, Ber, Ala and Pedda mari, Nayagrodha, Ala mara, Bar, Vad, Vatnam, Bahupada, Peddamarri, Al are the other names used for the Banyan tree. Indians call it a wish fulfilling tree.
Description : Banyan tree is a huge tree with very extensive branches. It is said that at one time more than 10, 000 people can sit under its shade at one time. It is a evergreen tree. It branches spread out and send trunk like roots to the ground in order to support itself. It grows to a height of more than 21 meters and lives for many years. The leaves are 10 -20 cm long and has many aerial roots. The leaves are broad, oval and glossy. White milky fluid oozes out of leaves, if broken. It can grow in to the gaint tree covering several hectares.
Hundred of trees are protected as living natural monument in India and Peepal or is one of them. It is popularly known as the Bodhi Tree in India, under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. It is the sacred tree of India.
Other names : Bo tree, Bodhi tree, Sacred tree, Beepul tree, Pipers, Pimpal, Jari, Arani,Ashvattha, Ragi, Bodhidruma, Shuchidruma, Pipalla, Ashvattha and the Buddha tree are the other names used for the Banyan tree.
Description : Peepal is a large, fast growing deciduous tree. It has a heart shaped leaves. It is a medium size tree and has a large crown with the wonderful wide spreading branches. It shed its leaves in the month of March and April. The fruits of the Peepal are hidden with the figs. The figs are ripen in
the month of May. The figs which contain the flowers grow in pairs just below the leaves and look like the berries. Its bark is light gray and peels in patches. Its fruit is purple in colour. It is one of the longest living trees.
Neem tree is popularly known as the Miracle Tree. It is a useful tree in rehabilitating the waste land areas. Even today Neem Tree is the focal point of village life and the village council meetings under the shade of this huge huge tree.
Other names : It is popularly known as the miracle tree. It is known as Nimba in India. The Sanskrit name of Neem is Arishtha meaning the reliever of the sickness. Margosa tree
Description : It is a tall evergreen tree with the small bright green leaves. It is up to 100 feet tall. It blossoms in spring with the small white flowers. It has a straight trunk. Its bark is hard rough and scaly, fissured even in small trees. The colour of the bark is brown grayish. The leaves are alternate and consists of several leaflets with serrated edges. Its flowers are small and white in colour. The loive like edible fruit is oval, round and thin skinned.
Garden Asparagus is an herbaceous perennial and is well known for its edible young shoots. Garden Asparagus is known to have more than 250 species all over the world. The delicate flavour of Asparagus make it favourite among the vegetable lovers.
Other names : Shatwar, sootmooli, halyan, Satavari, Asparagus root, Wild Aspargus are the other names used for the Garden Asparagus. Satavari means who posses hundred husbands.
Description : Garden Asparagus grows to a height of 3 feet. It is an herbaceous perennial and is well known for its edible young shoots. It has fleshy roots and fern-like feathery foliage. Its roots grows 3 feet down in the soil. Young shoots are green succulent and tender. It has smooth and green
stems which are 4-6 feet tall. It has green slender branches which appear more like the leaves than the branches. It produces male and female flowers on the separate plants. Flowers are greenish, bell shaped, which grows in the group of 1 to 3. Round bright red berries are produced on the female plants and each berries contains several black seeds. 
Arjuna is the large size deciduous tree. Terminalia Arjuna tree is common throughout India especially in the sub Himalayan tracts and Eastern India. In Indian mythology, Arjuna is supposed to be Sita's favourite tree.
Other names : Arjuna, Koha, Kahu, Arjan, White Marudah, White Murdh, Arjuna Myrobalan, Orjun, Yerra maddi, Sadada, Sadaru and many more.
Description : Arjuna is the large size deciduous tree. The height of the Arjuna tree reaches upto 60 -85 feet. It is the evergreen tree with the yellow flowers and conical leaves. It has a smooth gray bark. Fruit is 2.5 -3.5 cm long, fibrous woody, glabrous with 5 hard wings, striated with numerous
curved veins. It has a buttressed trunk and a vast spreading crown from which the branches drop downwards. Its leaves are dull green above and pale brown beneath. Arjuna flowers between March to June and fruits between September to November.
Aloe Vera is the popular herb with the botanical name of Aloe barbadensis. Aloe Vera is used as the source of medicines for thousand of years. It is believed to have been used for the preservation of the body of the Jesus Christ
Other names : Cape aloe, Aloe curacao, Barbadoes aloe, Venezuela aloe, Indian alces, Ghirita, Lu hui, Star Cactus are the other names used for the Aloe Vera. It is also called miracle plant, Burn plant, medicine plant and first-aid-plant.
Description : Aloe Vera grows to a height of 12 to 16 inches. It has a fibrous root system. It does not have stems. It has thick freshly leaves with sharp points, which are up to 18 inches long and 2 inches wide at the base. Its leaves are even long and triangular in shape. The tissue in the center of the
Aloe leaf contains a gel which yields the aloe gel. Its leaves are rich in water that is why it can survive for years. These leaves have spiky margins and are blotched creams. It is the member of the Lilly family. The roots of the pant are thick and fibrous. The fruit is the triangular capsule containing numerous seeds. 
Tulsi is the sacred plant of India dearer to the Lord Vishnu. Tulsi symbolises purity. Many people wears the Tulsi beads, which is said to have certain physical and medicinal properties. It is known as Holy Basil in English and Tulasi in Sanskrit.
.Other names : It is known as Holy Basil in English and Tulasi in Sanskrit. Other names used for the Tulsi are Manjari, Krishna Tulsi, Trittavu, Tulshi and Thulsi.
Description : Tulsi is a heavy branched having hair all over. It attains the height of about 75 – 90 cm. It has round oval shaped leaves which are up to 5 cm long. The leaves are 2- 4 cm in length. Its seeds are flat. Its flowers are purple – creamish in colour. The Tulsi with the green leaves is called the Shri Tulsi and one with the reddish leaves is called the Krishna Tulsi. Its seeds are yellow to reddish in colour. Leaves of Tulsi contains very essential oil.
Amla is the wonder plant, a unique gift of the mother nature to the mankind. Its fruit is the richest source of Vitamin C. It holds the special reputation of being the most powerful rejuvenating herb. It is popularly known as Indian Gooseberry.
Other names : Indian gooseberry, Bhumi amla, Bhumyamalki, Amlaki, adiphala, dhatri, amalaka, amali, amalakamu, usirikai, Anola, Amlika, nellikai, malacca tree, nillika, nellikya, emblic are the other names used for the Amla.
Description : Amla is the medium size deciduous plant. It grows to the height of 8 -18 meter. It has a crooked trunk and spreading branches. Its flower is yellow greenish in colour. The fruit is spherical pale yellow with six vertical furrows. The mature fruits are hard and do not fall for the gentle touch.
The average weight of the fruit is 60 -70 g. It has a gray bark and reddish wood. Its leaves are feathery, linear oblong in shape and smell like lemon. Its wood is hard in texture. It wraps and splits when exposed in the Sun or in the excessive heat. 
Ashwagandha is an evergreen shrub that grows up to the height of 0.5 m to 1.5 m. Ashwagandha is the powerful herb that is believed to increase health and longevity. One can find this medicinal plant in the Ranthambore National Park in India
Other names : Indian Ginseng, Ajagandha, Clustered Wintercherry, Kanaje, Orovale, Samm Al Ferakh, Strychnos, Withania are the other names used for the Aswagandha. It has derived its name from the Sanskrit work meaning 'Horse smell
Description : Ashwagandha is an evergreen shrub that grows up to the height of 0.5 m to 1.5 m. It is covered by the leaves all round the year. The flowers are hermaphrodite (they have both the male and the female organs) and are greenish yellow in colour. Its fruit and berries are orange -red in
colour. Its roots are whitish brown in colour. Aswagandha is a small woody shrub and flowers all the year round. 
Brahmi is the small creeping herb with the numerous branches. Herpestis monniera is the other known specie of Brahmi plant. It is rich in Vitamin C. Brahmi is the name derived from the Lord Brahma. Brahmi represents the creative energy of this earth.
Other names : Bacopa, Babies tear, Bacopa monnieri, Hespestis monniera, Nirbrahmi, Indian Pennywort, Jalanevari and water hyssop are the other names that are used for Brahmi. In English it is commonly called as the 'Herb of Grace'.
Description : Brahmi is the small creeping herb with the numerous branches. It grows to a height of 2 -3 feet and its branches are 10 -35 cm long. It has oval shaped leaves that are 1-2 cm long and 3- 8 mm broad. Leaves are formed in pairs along the stems. Small- tubular, five petaled flowers are white- purple in colour. Its stem is soft, succulent, and hairy with the glands. Roots emerge out of the nodules and directly go to the soil. The fruit is oval
and sharp at apex. 
Eucalyptus is the tall evergreen tree. There are more than 700 species of Eucalyptus all over the world. Eucalyptus is mainly used as the pulpwood in the manufacture of the paper as well as raw material.
Other names : Tailapatra, Sugandhapatra, Tailaprana, and Nilgiri Taila are the other names used for the Eucalyptus.
Description : Eucalyptus is a tall evergreen tree. It attains the height of more than 300 feet. Leaves of the tree on juvenile shoots are opposite, sessile, cordate-ovate and covered with a bluish white bloom. The adult leaves are alternate, lanceolate and are 6-12 inches long and 1-2 inches broad. It
flowers are cream in colour. The appearance of its bark varies with the age of the tree. Its bark consists of long fibers and can be can be pulled off in long pieces. Stems of the seedlings and coppice shoots are quadrangular. Flowers are in cymose panicles. The fruit is a capsule. 
Indian Mahogany is a fast upright growing tree with a broad rounded symmetrical crown. Swietenia mahagoni is the scientific name given to the Indian Mahogany. It is mostly propagated through seeds. .
Other names : Mahogany, West Indian Mahogany, Spanish mahogany, Madeira redwood, acajou, caoba, caoba de Santo, cheria mahogany, Cuban mahogany, American mahogany, True mahogany, small leaf mahogany, Dominican mahogany are some of the other names of Indian Mahogany.
Description : Indian Mahogany grow up to the height of 30 -40 feet. It is fast upright growing tree with abroad rounded symmetrical crown. It is 20 -30 feet in spread. The fruit is a large greenish brown capsule, splitting into 5 parts relwasing flat, long winged, light brown seeds. Its wood is red brown
in colour. Both the male and the female flowers are produced on the same plant. The bark is smooth dark brown in colour. The leaves are pinnate which are 12 -25 cm long, with four to eight leaflets.
Indian Rosewood holds many medicinal properties. Indian Rosewood is mostly propagated through the root suckers and seeds. Many people in India grow Rosewood because they believe harvesting the wood denudes the rain forests.
Other names : aguru (Sanskrit), Bombay Rosewood (English), dalbergia (Arabic), nakku katti (Tamil Nadu), ostindisches Rosenholz, pradu-khaek, pradu-khaek, shinshapa (Sanskrit), shisham (Hindi), shishu (Bengali), shisu (Bengali), sisam (Hindi), sisham (Nepali), sissai (Hindi), sissau (Nepali), sisso (English), sisso (Tamil), sissoo (English), sissoo (Arabic), sissoo (Hindi), sissu (Hindi), sisu (Bengali), sisu (Spanish), sisuitti (Tamil), skuva, sonoswaseso (Javanese), tali, yette (Tamil) are some of the other names used for the Indian Rosewood.
Description : Indian Rosewwod is a erect deciduous tree. It grows to the height of 25 meter and 2-3 meter in diameter. It has leathery leaves which are up to 15 cm long. The flowers are whitish pink in colour. Its crown is oval in shape. The fruit is brown and pod like in shape. The fruit is dry and hard. The sapwood is white to pale brown in colour and the heartwood is golden to dark brown in colour.
Indian Tulip or the Portia Tree is a very large tree with heart shaped leaves and the cup shaped flowers. The fruits, flowers and young leaves of the Indian Tulip tree are edible. It is also known as the Scarlet Bell tree and the Fountain tree. Other names : Portia tree, Pacific Rosewood, Suriya (Sinhala), Poovarasu, Plaksa, Sea side Mahoe are the other names used for the Indian Tulip tree. It is also known as the Scarlet Bell tree, Flame of the forest and Fountain tree.
Description : Indian Tulip Tree attains the height of 40 feet or more. It is a very large tree. It has heart shaped leaves and the cup shaped flowers. It is a fast growing, evergreen tree. It is very bushy when it is young but thins out with the age. Each flower is white – yellow in colour and has
maroon eye that ages to purple. The flowers bloom year round and lasts for three days. The major branches of the tree grow straight, with the thick corrugated bark. They are Its barks are stringy and light grey in colour. Its fruit is the round capsule which is about one inch across. Its seeds are greyish brown in colour.
Khair is the moderate size deciduous tree, which is widely grown in Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, Corbett National Park and Ranthambore National Park in India. It is propagated through the stumps or seed and is useful in the dental problems.
Other names : Karangali, Kodalimurunkai, Lal Khair, Lal Khair, Rat Kihiriya, Sundra, Sadra, Karugali, Karamgali, Kachu, Kaggli, Karnali, Khadirah, Red Cutch are some of the other names used for the Khair tree.
Description : It is the moderate size deciduous tree. It has rough bark which is dark gray brown in colour. It grows up to the height of 15 meter. The leave are 8 -10 cm long. It has short curved stipular spines and rough grayish brown bark. The flowers are pale yellow in colour. They start appearing
in the month of June -August. Fruits ripen in January to March and remain in the tree for long. The young parts are dark brown to purple in colour. The tree has tough texture from outside. 
Kikar is the small thorny tree. It is cultivated for erosion and fuel wood. Its wood is used for the paper production. It is mainly grown in the cold temperature. Kikar is widely found in the State of Haryana in India.
Other names : Cape Gum, Cassie, Piquants Blancs, Cassie Piquants Blancs, Cockspur Thorn, Deo-Babool, Doorn Boom, Kaludai, Karroo Thorn, Kikar, Mormati, Pahari Kikar, Pahari Kikar and Udai Vel are the other names used for the Kikar.
Description : Kikar is the small thorny tree. It grows to the height of 7 – 12 meter. It has yellow round head flowers which are nectar less. The bark is red -brown to blackish and rough. The leaves are light green and fern like up to 120 mm long and 50 mm wide. Flowers are 10- 15 mm in diameter, which grow in cluster between 4 -6 and are sweetly scented.
Sal is a large sub deciduous tree. It is worshiped among the Buddhist and Hindus in India. It is mentioned in many scriptures that the Buddha was born and died under the Sal tree. It is found in almost all the parts of India.
Other names : Shala, Sarai, Sargi, Salwa, Sakhu, Sakher, Shal, Kandar and Sakwa are the other names used for the Sal tree.
Description : Sal is a large sub deciduous tree. It is up to 30 meter high. Sal tree is seldom completely leafless. It has large leathery leaves and yellowish flowers. They have tough texture. Young trees have a linear crown, which becomes rounder and flatter with aging. The sapwood is whitish in colour, thick and is less durable. The heartwood becomes dark brown to black in colour on exposure. The wood pores are filled with resin.
Found in the tropical forests of India, Cork is the tall deciduous tree. Stem and roots of the Cork tree have great medicinal value. The bark of the Cork tree is used in the production of yellow dye. Its flowers are used in rituals in India.
Other names : Akas Nim, Nim Chameli, Betati Nim, Mini Chameli, Karkku, Kat Malli, Kavudi are some of the other names used for the Cork Tree.
Description : It is a tall deciduous tree. It grows up to 25 meter. The leaves are pinnately compound. Flowers in corymbose, long tubular, white and fragrant. The fruit is a capsule. It flowers at night and shed flowers early in the morning. It has corky bark. It has straight trunk and has few branches.
Teak or Tectona Grandis is one of the most popular tree of India. It is mainly used in the making of furniture and doors. Teak also holds the medicinal value. The bark is bitter tonic and is considered useful in fever.
Other names : Saka, Burma teak, Rangoon teak, moulmein teak, gia thi, jati sak, kyun, mai sak, rosawa and tekka are the other names used for the Teak tree.
Description : Teak is tall evergreen tree. It has yellowish blonde to reddish brown wood. It attains the height of about 30 meter. The fruit is a drupe. It has bluish to white flowers. It produces the large leaf similar to the tobacco leaf. The bark is whitish gray in colour. It is generally grown straight
with the uneven texture, medium lusture and the oily feel. The upper surface of the tree is rough to touch and the inner surface has hairs. The fruit is enclosed by the bladder like calyx, which is light brown, ribbed and papery. 
The plant of Turmeric is a herbaceous perennial, which is 60 -90 cm high. The powered rhizome of this plant is used as an condiment and as an yellow dye. The rhizome of the turmeric plant is highly aromatic and antiseptic.
Other names : Kunyit, Haridra, Haldi, Halada, Manjal, Zirsood, terre merite, Holdi, Indian Saffron, curcuma, Pasapu, Arishina are the other related names used for the Turmeric Kunyit, Haridra, Haldi, Halada, Manjal, Zirsood, terre merite, Holdi, Indian Saffron, curcuma, Pasapu, Arishina are the other related names used for the Turmeric
Description : The plant of Turmeric is a herbaceous perennial, which is 60 -90 cm high. It has a short stem. It has large leaves oblong and up to
one meter long. Flowers of the turmeric appear on a spike like the stalk. Its flowers are yellow white in colour. They are sterile and donot produce viable seed. The lamina is green above and pale green below, and is 30 -40 cm long and 8 -12 cm wide. Approximately 30 flowers are produced in a spike. Inflorescence is a central spike of 10 -15 cm in length. Its pant looks like the ginger pant.
Deforestation is a serious problem today, and has been for a long time. It is one of the greatest threats to nature on Earth, if not the single greatest. It is one root cause of soil erosion, the root cause of global warming, and the greatest contributor to the endangerment and extinction of so many species throughout the world. To understand deforestation though, one must know exactly what it is first. Therefore, deforestation is defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica Online as "The cutting down and clearing of trees from forests, usually causing ecological harm. The process has occurred as long as wood has been used as an energy source." Furthermore, "In the 1990's, the deforestation of tropical rainforests threatened brink of disaster. Though deforestation's effects do include famine, erosion of precious topsoil, loss of watersheds, and depletion of the ozone layer, commonly called 'global warming,' there is still hope. As Norman Myers states, "In response to a surge of citizen interest, the world's governments are moving to safeguard bio-diversity...It is no longer sufficient to respond to symptoms of problems. We must address their source." "Ultimately we must safeguard enough habitats for millions of species, including our own." (132) Works Cited: "Deforestation." Audubon Mar. /Apr. 1993:56-57. "Deforestation." Britanica_Student_Encyclopedia. 2004. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 7 Sept. 2004 "Environment: Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming." World_Almanac. FACTS.com. Facts On File News Services. Rend Lake College, Learning Resource Center. 
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