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Ashoka Tree (Saraca asoca): Where It Grows in India and How to Plant It

Saraca asoca

The true Ashoka or Sita Ashok (Saraca asoca) is the sacred, orange-flowered tree of the Ramayana, not the tall roadside Mast tree. How to recognise it, its scientific and Hindi names, where it grows in India, how and when to plant it, and the shade and water it needs.

  • Published on October 22, 2026
  • GreenEye Team

Planting methods

SaplingPrimary method

Spacing: 3 x 3 m in medicinal plantations (Vikaspedia); about 5-6 m clear for a single garden tree is a rule of thumb, not a safe distance from buildings or services · Depth: Pit about 45x45x45 cm (Vikaspedia plantation guidance; rule of thumb for a garden tree); plant at nursery soil level

Planting steps, drawn: Sapling

  1. Dig a pit

  2. Mix compost into the dug-out soil

  3. Set the plant at its nursery soil level

  4. Firm the soil and shape a watering basin

  5. Water it well

Seed

Spacing: Nursery beds or polybags about 25 x 20 cm (Vikaspedia; a guide) · Depth: Sow fresh seed after soaking it in water for 12 hours; germinates in about 15 days (Vikaspedia, a guide)

Planting steps, drawn: Seed

  1. Pick fresh, healthy seed and prepare it

  2. Sow at a shallow, even depth

  3. Cover lightly and keep the soil moist

  4. Transplant the seedling once it is sturdy

Air layering

Spacing: As sapling · Depth: Listed by Useful Tropical Plants; no Indian home-garden trial found

Planting steps, drawn: Air layering

  1. Remove a ring of bark on a branch

  2. Wrap the ring in moist moss and cover it

  3. Wait until roots fill the moss

  4. Cut below the roots and plant it

Sources: Vikaspedia (Govt of India): Saraca asoca package of practices (from Agro-techniques of selected medicinal plants); Useful Tropical Plants (Fern K.): Saraca asoca

This article was prepared with AI assistance and checked by the GreenEye team against the sources shown in each section.

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