Peepal Tree (Ficus religiosa): Where It Grows in India and How to Plant It

Peepal is native to the Indian subcontinent and Indochina. It grows across a wide range of rainfall, from about 500 mm a year to 5,000 mm, and in tropical and subtropical areas up to an altitude of about 1,520 m.

It can be planted with the monsoon in almost every part of India: the north-west dry zone, the northern plains, central India, the east, the north-east, the west coast, the east coast and the southern peninsula. In the Himalayan region it grows only with care: plant it in the foothills and lower valleys below about 1,520 m, not in the higher, colder hills.

In the north-west dry zone, rainfall is near the dry end of its range, so young trees there need help through their first dry seasons. Once its roots are established, a mature peepal normally manages on rainfall alone.

It grows on a wide variety of soils. It prefers deep, well-drained sandy loam or alluvium, but also grows on shallow soils and even in rock crevices. We found no published soil pH range for peepal; see Soil pH for practical advice.