Peepal Tree (Ficus religiosa): How to Plant and Care for It in Jaipur
Ficus religiosa
The peepal, or sacred fig, is a long-lived shade tree that feeds birds and bats and is revered across India. Here is how to plant it in Jaipur, care for it in its first three years, and why it needs plenty of space.
Benefits
Benefits
Shade and cooling
A large, wide-spreading crown makes the peepal a traditional village shade tree. Village meetings are often held in its shade.
Food for wildlife
Its small paired figs, about 1.5 cm across, ripen from green to purple and feed many birds, bats, monkeys and squirrels.
A special pollinator
Peepal has a close partnership with its own tiny fig wasp, Blastophaga quadraticeps. The tree needs this wasp for pollination, and the wasp breeds only inside its figs.
Fodder and other uses
Leaves are lopped as fodder for cattle, goats, camels and elephants, with about 10–14% crude protein. The tree is a host for lac insects, and its bark has been used in tanning. The wood is light and of low value, so it is not grown for timber.
Traditional medicine
Peepal is traditionally used in Ayurveda and folk medicine. Its bark, fruit and leaves appear in traditional remedies for digestive, skin and respiratory complaints. This is traditional use only, not medical advice.
- Shade and cooling: A large, wide-spreading crown makes it a traditional village shade tree; village meetings are often held under peepals.
- Biodiversity: Its small figs feed many birds, bats, monkeys and squirrels. Fig trees are key food sources for fruit-eating wildlife worldwide.
- Pollinators: It is pollinated only by its own fig wasp, Blastophaga quadraticeps, which in turn breeds only in its figs.
- Fodder: Leaves are lopped as fodder for cattle, goats, camels and elephants and contain about 10-14% crude protein.
- Medicinal: Bark, fruit and leaves are traditionally used in Ayurveda and folk medicine for digestive, skin and respiratory complaints. Traditional use only, not medical advice.
- Carbon sequestration: As a large, long-lived tree it stores carbon in its wood over many decades.
- Cultural: One of the most sacred trees in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism; the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment under a peepal at Bodh Gaya.
- Other: A host tree for lac insects; the bark has been used in tanning.
This article was prepared with AI assistance. Please check important details against the sources shown in each section.
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