Amaltas Tree (Cassia fistula): Where It Grows in India and How to Grow It

Amaltas is one of the most widespread forest trees in India. ICFRE records it in deciduous forest throughout the country, from the Indus eastwards to Assam, and common across the Gangetic valley, central India, the Deccan and South India. It is particularly abundant in the bhabar tracts along the foot of the Himalayas and climbs to about 1,220 m in the sub-Himalayan tract and outer Himalayas. In the Aravallis it grows wild in scrub forest alongside khair, dhau, ronjh and khejri, and in Kerala, where it is called Kanikonna, it is the state flower.

Regions. It grows well in nearly every part of India: the north-west dry zone, the northern plains, central India, the east, the north-east, the west coast, the east coast and the southern peninsula. In the Himalayan foothills it needs care: plant it only in the warm lower hills and protect young plants from frost in their first winters. The Planting calendar gives the best months for each region.

Rainfall and heat. ICFRE gives a mean annual rainfall of 500 mm to 3,000 mm or more across its natural range, and ICRAF 480–2,720 mm, so it takes everything from semi-arid country to very wet districts. In its natural habitat the highest shade temperatures reach 35–47.5 °C. Foresters describe it as "decidedly drought hardy".

Cold. The weak point is frost. In its natural range the lowest temperatures run from 0 to 17.5 °C, and the tree is not frost-hardy: frost can kill young seedlings down to ground level, although they usually sprout again from the base. Where winter nights can drop to freezing, a first-year sapling is most at risk on clear, still nights between December and February.

Soil. It grows on poor, shallow soil, and ICFRE notes that it does equally well on trap, granite and sandstone and is frequent on laterite. ICRAF gives a soil pH range of 5.5 to 8.7, so it suits mildly acidic as well as quite alkaline ground, as long as water does not stand around the roots.

Grazing land. ICFRE notes that Amaltas is "not at all browsed even by goats", and cattle leave it alone too. That is why it survives on grazing grounds where many other saplings get eaten.