Imli (Tamarind) Tree (Tamarindus indica): Where It Grows in India and How to Plant It
Tamarindus indica
Imli, tamarind in English, is Tamarindus indica, the drought-hardy fruit and shade tree of Indian villages. How and when to plant an imli tree, growing it from seed, years to fruit, how to recognise it, care for the first three years and what to watch out for.
Planting calendar
- Northwest arid · Monsoon · Jul, Aug
A guide: plant once the rains have wetted the soil, early enough to root before frost; water young plants through the first dry summers.
- North plains (Indo-Gangetic) · Monsoon · Jul, Aug
A guide: plant early in the season so the sapling roots before the first frost.
- Central India · Monsoon · Jul, Aug
- East India · Monsoon · Jun, Jul, Aug
- South peninsula · Monsoon · Jun, Jul, Aug
A guide: TNAU gives June to December as the best period in Tamil Nadu.
- East coast · Post-monsoon · Oct, Nov
A guide for the Tamil Nadu coast, where the main rains come with the north-east monsoon (TNAU gives June-December).
Source: TNAU Agritech Portal, Horticulture: Tamarind
This article was prepared with AI assistance and checked by the GreenEye team against the sources shown in each section.
Plant a tree you can track
Plant a tree on GreenEye land and track it as it grows.
Share this article