General Information :

• Peepal tree  is a deciduous semi - evergreen trees,
• Bark reddish-brown or yellowish-brown in color.
• Leaves simple, alternate and glossy dark green in color.
• Flowers unisexual red in color.
• Fruit is a capsule orange, pink or dark crimson in color.
• The tree is considered sacred by the followers of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.

Distribution :

• widely spread throughout India  

Habitat : It is found scattered in forests, where it propagates as an epiphyte on other trees especially widely found in uplands and plane area.

Soil : Deep, alluvial sandy loam with good drainage

Soil pH : 5.5-6.5

Altitude :Up to 1520 m (MSL)

Rainfall :500-5000 mm

Temperature : 16-35ºC

Terrain : Plain

Tree Characteristics :

• Drought resistant and light demander.

Habit : Deciduous Tree

Natural Regeneration :

 

• Naturally regenerates by seeds and root suckers.

 

Artificial Regeneration :

• Propagated by seeds and vegetative cuttings.

Seed collection and Storage :

• Fruits are collected and depulped and squeezed in water.
• The floating seeds are collected and dried on blotting paper in shade.
• The dried seeds are stored in a clean polybag.

Seed Treatment :

• Cold water treatment for 24 hours.

Nursery Technique :

• Seeds are broad casted in the mother bed mixed with sand and red earth.
• watering is done as on when  required
• germination starts in about 2 weeks.
• Tow leaf stage individual seedlings could be pricked out into a polybag Shade was provided for at least 1 weak after each transplanting. Seedlings were susceptible to over-watering until the final transplant.

Plantation technique :

• Planting out is carried out during July in 30 cm3 pits,
• Under dry conditions, pit size of 60 cm3 with an interval 5 to 10 m Planting should be carried out after the commencement of monsoon

Care & Disease Control :

 

• Regular weeding and soil working should be taken care.

 

Yield :

• Rotation:10 years

Agro Forestory :

• Its large size, wide crown and spreading branches limits it’s agroforestry potential for intercropping with crops , or as a hedgerow planting.

Major uses :

  Fodder:  

• Its leaves are lopped as fodder for elephants, camels, goats and cattle; having about 10-14% crude protein. Silage prepared from the tree is palatable and digestible.

  Timber:   

• It is moderately durable under cover and quite durable under water. It is little used but is occasionally converted into packing cases, cheap boarding, yokes, spoons and bowls

 

Other uses :

Latex or rubber:

• Bird-lime can be prepared from its milky juice.

Tannin or dyestuff:

• Its bark is used in tanning.

Medicine:

• The ripe fruit is cooling and relieves foul taste, thirst, biliousness, diseases of blood and heart; it is a laxative and helps digestion.
• It is used for medicinal purposes, such as toothaches.
• Dried fruit cure asthma; seeds are useful in urinary discharge; young bark is an astringent.

Carbon stock :

0.699 tC/tree