Rohida Tree (Tecomella undulata): Rajasthan's State Flower and How to Grow It in Jaipur

When to plant

Plant in July or August, once the monsoon has properly soaked the ground; published cultivation guidance for the species gives the same months. Avoid October to February, when a new sapling meets cold nights before it has rooted, and April to June.

Choosing a sapling

Look for a one-year-old nursery plant in a polybag, and ask for it by its botanical name. Many garden nurseries sell "Tecoma" or yellow bells (Tecoma stans), which is a different plant: a shrub with bright yellow bells that flowers from early summer to late autumn. Rohida is hard to root from stem cuttings, so honest nursery stock is grown from seed.

Some foresters plant "stumps" instead: a pencil-thick, one-year-old seedling trimmed to 2–5 cm of shoot and 15–20 cm of taproot. In a two-year trial at the Agricultural Research Station, Keshwana (Jalore), stumps and normal seedlings all survived, and the thickest stumps grew about 44% taller, with straighter stems.

Pit, spacing and protection

• Pit: 60 × 60 × 60 cm, refilled with the dug soil and well-rotted farmyard manure. Plant at nursery-bag level and shape a basin to catch rain. On termite-prone land, add a handful of neem cake (practical advice).
• Spacing: about 3 × 4 m in a block planting. For a single tree with a full crown, keep 5–6 m clear around it (practical advice).
• Guard: do not skip it. Goats, cattle and sheep browse young Rohida, and a plant that is nibbled back again and again ends up as a low bush instead of a tree. On Jaipur's outskirts, nilgai are another risk.

First-year watering (practical advice)

Season	How often	Amount
Monsoon (Jul–Sep)	Only after 10 dry days	10 L
Post-monsoon and winter (Oct–Feb)	Every 15–20 days	10 L
Spring (Mar–Apr)	Every 10 days	15 L
Summer (May–Jun)	Every 5–7 days	15–20 L

Water early in the morning or in the evening, and never let water stand around the stem.