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Babul

Vachellia nilotica subsp. indica

Also called Egyptian Mimosa Thorn

Babul is a thorny, drought-tolerant perennial tree from the Indian subcontinent, grown for wood, forage, fibre, medicine and shade or erosion control. It thrives in hot, dry conditions with full sun and needs little water once established.

Family
Fabaceae (Pea & bean family)
Grows as
Tree, Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Water deeply but infrequently, letting the soil dry out between waterings; established trees need little or no irrigation.
Soil
Well-drained soil, tolerates sandy, loamy and poor or saline soils.
Temperature
Tolerates hot climates well; frost-sensitive when young, protect below about 0 °C.
How easy
Easy
Edible
Yes, some parts

About

Vachellia nilotica subsp. indica is a perennial tree native to Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. It is also cultivated in Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. Common names for it include babul, kikar and prickly acacia.

Its uses include chemical products, environmental management, fiber, food and drink, forage, medicine and wood.

Other Vachellia plants

Vachellia leucophloea · Vachellia nilotica subsp. hemispherica · Vachellia schaffneri · Vachellia tortilis · Vachellia xanthophloea · Roman Cassie · Bullhorn Wattle · Camel thorn · Sweet Acacia · Robber Thorn · Sweet Thorn · Gum Arabic Tree

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Vachellia nilotica subsp. indica by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

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