Palash
Butea monosperma
Palash is a medium-sized deciduous tree that blazes with bright orange flowers on bare branches in early spring, giving it the name flame of the forest. The flowers are used to make natural Holi colours and are celebrated at Basanta Utsav in Bengal.
Photo: SumaTagadur · CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Essential Care Requirements
Light
Full sun
Watering
Low
Water young trees; mature trees are very drought tolerant.
Soil
Grows in poor, rocky, saline and clay soils; pH 6.0–8.5.
Temperature and humidity
2–47 °C · Low humidity
Feeding
Not usually needed.
Pruning and propagation
Propagate by seed
Little pruning needed.
Not considered toxic, but the seeds should not be eaten.
Top Cultivation Tips
Sow fresh seeds before the monsoon.
Seedlings grow slowly at first.
Soak dried flowers in water for natural orange colour.
Leaves are used to make leaf plates.
Common problems
Caterpillars
The larvae of moths and butterflies, which chew holes in leaves, flowers and fruit and can strip a plant in days.
How to treat it →DiseaseLeaf spot
Fungal or bacterial infections that cause brown, black or purple spots on leaves, often with a yellow halo, leading to early leaf drop.
How to treat it →
