Bel (Bael) Tree: Where It Grows in India and How to Plant It

Bel is native to the Indian subcontinent. It grows wild in the dry deciduous forests of central India and on the hills and plains of southern India.

• Central India and the southern peninsula: grows wild in the dry forests and is cultivated in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
• Northern plains and the east: IGNOU records bael cultivation in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha. Avoid heavy soils and high water-table sites.
• North-west dry zone: suited to hot, dry and salty land; ICAR-CIAH, Bikaner, has released varieties for semi-arid areas (see below).
• North-east and west coast (with care): ICRAF says bael will not fruit where there is no long dry season, and IGNOU says it is most susceptible to waterlogging. In these very wet regions it may grow but fruit poorly, so plant only on raised, well-drained ground.
• Himalayan foothills (with care): bael grows up to about 1,200 m, so it suits only the lower hills; cover young plants in winter, as cold can hurt tender twigs.

It handles extreme heat and low rain. Bel is reported to be unharmed from about −7 °C up to 48 °C, and it grows with 570–2,000 mm of rain a year. In India it has a reputation for thriving where other fruit trees cannot survive.

It tolerates difficult soil. Bel grows in sandy, low-fertility soil as well as rocky, saline and sodic (alkaline) soils, with a pH of about 6 to 8.5.

It needs little water once established. Grown trees usually need no regular irrigation because they shed their leaves and rest through the hot season.

Its one weak point is waterlogging. Bel is very sensitive to standing water. Avoid low spots where rainwater collects.

Which variety?

• Goma Yashi (from ICAR-CIAH) is thornless under rainfed semi-arid conditions, and commercial planting of it has recently gained momentum in Rajasthan. This is our first choice for public sites.
• Thar Divya, Thar Neelkanth and Thar Srishti are also released for semi-arid areas.
• NB-5 is a compact variety (3–5 m) with sweet fruit of about 0.9–1 kg. NB-9 is medium height (4–6 m) and spreading.