Bargad (Banyan Tree): Where It Grows in India and How to Plant India's National Tree
Ficus benghalensis
The Bargad (Ficus benghalensis) is a huge, long-lived shade tree whose aerial roots become new trunks. Here is where it grows in India, when to plant it in each region, how to care for it in its first three years, and why it needs plenty of open space.
Varieties
No named variety, clone or selection of bargad was found in the ICFRE technology list or Kew's plant list (WCVP) that we checked. Krishna fig (Makhan katori), whose leaves have a pocket-like fold at the base, is sometimes called a bargad variety (Ficus benghalensis var. krishnae), but Kew's plant list treats it as a separate species, Ficus krishnae.
Sources: Krishna Fig (Ficus krishnae; synonym Ficus benghalensis var. krishnae; Hindi Makhan Katori) – Flowers of India; GBIF species search in the Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) dataset: Ficus benghalensis (var. krishnae is a synonym of the accepted species Ficus krishnae) – GBIF / Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (WCVP); ICFRE Technologies (list of technologies developed by ICFRE institutes) – Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)
This article was prepared with AI assistance. Please check important details against the sources shown in each section.
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