Frequently asked questions

The scientific name of imli (tamarind) is Tamarindus indica L., of the legume family Fabaceae. It is the only species in the genus Tamarindus (ICRAF), and Kew's World Checklist accepts this name.

In English imli is called tamarind, and the tree is the tamarind tree; it is also known as Indian date. The name comes from the Arabic tamar-u'l-Hind, "date of India" (ICRAF).

Plant a healthy grafted sapling at the start of the rains, in a pit of about 1 m each way filled with well-rotted farmyard manure and topsoil (TNAU), at the depth it stood in the bag, and tie it to a stake. Make a basin, water it at once, fence it from goats and cattle, and in the north cover it on frosty nights in its first winters.

Plant imli with the monsoon, once the rains have properly wetted the soil. As a guide, that is July-August in the north and centre and June-August in the east and south; TNAU gives June to December for Tamil Nadu, where October-November suits only areas whose main rains come with the north-east monsoon. Avoid April to June.

A grafted imli usually starts bearing in about 3-4 years, but a seedling takes much longer. ICRAF gives 7-10 years for seedlings, with yields steady at about 15 years, and the Indian Horticulture article gives 8-12 years. TNAU says economic yield from grafted orchards starts in about the 9th year.

Imli flowers along with its new leaves, in most areas in spring and summer (ICRAF); eFlora of India has dated flower photos from Pune in May and Mumbai in June. The pods then ripen slowly over the following months, and TNAU gives the harvest in Tamil Nadu as March-April. Timing varies by region.

Yes, imli grows easily from fresh seed, but it is not a good long-term pot plant. The seed germinates within about 2 weeks (PROSEA), but a seedling is slow and its fruit may differ from its parent's. Because it becomes a very large tree, a pot suits only the first year or two, after which it should go into open ground (practical guidance).

Look for feathery leaves with 10-18 pairs of small, narrow leaflets, small pale yellow flowers with red veins, and thick, velvety brown pods (ICRAF, Flowers of India). The bark is rough and greyish-brown and the crown dense and rounded. Vilayati imli or jungle jalebi (Pithecellobium dulce) is different: it has thorns, fewer leaflets and thin, twisted pods.

Whether imli is lucky (shubh) or unlucky (ashubh) is a matter of belief and local custom, not something science can settle. In folk belief old tamarind trees are linked with spirits, yet the tree is widely grown in villages and on farms. In practice, plant it in open, sunny ground with plenty of room, well away from buildings and pipes, because it becomes a very large tree with dense shade.

Yes, like every green tree, imli releases oxygen from its leaves in daylight through photosynthesis; we give no figures, because there is no reliable measurement for a single tree, and no tree releases oxygen in the dark. The fruit can harm dogs: tamarind has caused kidney failure in dogs (MSD Veterinary Manual), so keep pods away from them. Ripe pulp is a common food, but the safety of the bark, leaves and raw seed is not well documented.