Kachnar Tree (Bauhinia variegata): How to Grow It in Jaipur and Use Its Buds

• Ornamental: Large, fragrant pink, purple or white flowers on bare branches from late January to April make it a popular avenue and garden tree.
• Edible: Flower buds, flowers and young leaves are eaten as a vegetable; the buds are cooked as kachnar ki kali ki sabzi, in curries and as pickle. Eat only cooked buds and flowers from true kachnar.
• Fodder: The leaves are good fodder, eaten readily by sheep, goats and cattle.
• Pollinators: The late-winter flowers are visited by bees, though heavy bud picking leaves less for them.
• Timber: Moderately hard wood used for farm tools and as fuel. GreenEye gift trees are not planted for cutting.
• Other: The bark yields fibre, tannin for brown dyes and a gum.
• Medicinal: Bark and dried buds (kanchanara) are used in Ayurveda and folk medicine, for example in remedies for diarrhoea and skin complaints. Traditional use only, not medical advice.
• Shade and cooling: A spreading crown gives light shade from about May to December; the tree is bare from roughly January to April.
• Cultural: Known in Sanskrit as kovidara; the Valmiki Ramayana describes a kovidara tree on Bharata's flag, and the tree is embroidered on the Dharma Dhwaj raised over the Ram temple in Ayodhya on 25 November 2025.

This article was prepared with AI assistance. Please check important details against the sources shown in each section.