Sagwan (Teak) Tree (Tectona grandis): Where It Grows in India and How to Plant It
Tectona grandis
Sagwan or teak (सागवान, सागौन) is Tectona grandis, India's best-known timber tree, native to the forests of the peninsula and central India and reaching into southern Rajasthan. How to plant it and when, how to recognise it, how fast it grows, care for the first three years, and what to watch out for.
Benefits
Benefits
Teak's main benefit is its timber, one of the most valued woods in the world, but a living tree also gives monsoon shade and food for bees. ICRAF calls teak "a paragon of timber": the heartwood turns golden brown, is very durable and is used for doors, windows, furniture, boats, floors and carving. The TNAU portal notes that the wood resists termites and rot well. A teak planted today is a gift to the next generation: ICRAF gives a plantation rotation of about 80 years, and the TNAU portal gives 70–80 years for planted teak.
Shade in the rains. The large leaves give heavy shade through the monsoon and after it. It is bare for part of the dry season, so it is not the tree for summer shade.
Bees and insects. ICRAF says the flowers are pollinated by insects, particularly bees, so a flowering teak feeds bees through the rains.
Dye and toughness. ICRAF records a yellowish-brown or reddish dye from the root bark and young leaves, and notes that young plants recover remarkably well after fire.
Traditional use. ICRAF records that teak wood and bark have been used in traditional medicine. This is traditional use only: it does not prove that any part works or is safe. Talk to a qualified doctor before using any part of the tree for health reasons.
- Timber: ICRAF calls teak "a paragon of timber": durable heartwood that turns golden brown, used for doors, windows, furniture, boats, floors and carving. The TNAU portal notes the wood resists termites and rot. ICRAF gives a plantation rotation of about 80 years.
- Pollinators: ICRAF says the flowers are pollinated by insects, particularly bees, so a flowering teak feeds bees in the rainy season.
- Shade and cooling: Its very large leaves give heavy shade in and after the monsoon; it is bare for part of the dry season, so it is not a summer-shade tree.
- Ornamental: ICRAF notes it is occasionally grown as an ornamental for its large leaves and spreading flower clusters.
- Other: ICRAF records a yellowish-brown or reddish dye from the root bark and young leaves, and notes that young plants recover remarkably well after fire.
- Medicinal: ICRAF records that teak wood and bark have been used in traditional medicine. Traditional use only: it does not prove that any part works or is safe. Talk to a qualified doctor before using any part of the tree for health reasons.
- Cultural: Kerala Tourism describes Conolly's Plot at Nilambur, planted in 1846, as the world's oldest teak plantation.
Sources: ICRAF Agroforestree Database 4.0: Orwa C. et al. (2009). Tectona grandis; TNAU Agritech Portal (Forestry): Teak (Tectona grandis)
This article was prepared with AI assistance and checked by the GreenEye team against the sources shown in each section.
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