Chandan (Sandalwood) Tree (Santalum album): Where It Grows in India and How to Plant It

Santalum album

Chandan, or Indian sandalwood (Santalum album), is a hemi-parasitic tree that cannot grow without a host plant beside it. How to plant it with the right host, where it grows in India including Rajasthan, how to recognise it and tell it from red sandalwood, care for the first three years, and the legal and theft cautions.

Published on October 22, 2026
GreenEye Team

Planting methods

SaplingPrimary method

Spacing: 4 x 4 m in plantations, or 6 x 3 m with amla in between (ICFRE-IWST); a rough starting point for growing room, not a safe distance from buildings or services · Depth: Pit about 50 cm each way (ICFRE-IWST; rule of thumb); plant at container soil level with a long-term host in the same pit or about 1-2 m away (rule of thumb)

Dig a pit
Mix compost into the dug-out soil
Set the plant at its nursery soil level
Firm the soil and shape a watering basin
Water it well

Seed

Spacing: 4-5 seeds dibbled at the base of existing bushes, which act as hosts, or in pits and mounds with a host (ICFRE-IWST) · Depth: Sown during the monsoon (ICFRE-IWST); nursery seedlings are raised with a small primary host such as arhar or touch-me-not

Pick fresh, healthy seed and prepare it
Sow at a shallow, even depth
Cover lightly and keep the soil moist
Transplant the seedling once it is sturdy

Sources: Vikaspedia (Govt of India / C-DAC): Sandalwood (source: Sandalwood Information System, ICFRE-IWST Bengaluru); ICFRE-IWST Sandalwood Information System: Plantations; ICFRE-IWST Sandalwood Information System: Nursery Technology

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

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