Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) also known as Indian rosewood is a native to India. It is a good timber tree. It is also used for firewood and shade.

The heartwood is resistant to termite attacks and rot. It is also the best timber to produce fine furniture and veneer. The uses range from music instruments, boats, floorings, and plywood manufacturing.

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is an evergreen tree that produces a characteristic fruit with hard, brown skin and sour fruits with 5-16 seeds enclosed. Tamarind trees are grown widely in South India, usually without any serious management. They are evergreen plants and are planted as avenue trees in areas of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. There are also plantations where tamarind trees are grown on a commercial scale.

Tamarind is mostly cultivated when the fruit is fully ripe. All kitchens of India (especially south Indian) will have tamarind, which is used in a variety of preparations. There are different benefits for the fruits – it increases immune system.

The wood of the tree is very strong, but is a hard to manage furniture material. Then again it is used in furniture of various kinds. Other main application of tamarind wood is in agricultural tools like plough. It is hard to get a long and straight enough piece of wood. But in places of favorable conditions, tamarind trees reach a height of up to 30 meters, with 20 meters of straight wood that have 20-35 inch diameter. Such wood can be used for furniture and in wood flooring.

Tamarindus indica belongs to the plant family fabaceae (subfamily – leguminosae or pea family).

Teak (Tectona grandis) has a long history as an important timber, used in the manufacture of domestic furniture to ships. Teak prefers warm climate and is found abundantly in almost all parts of India, especially in Kerala, central India and Ganges plains.

It is called tekku or thekku in Malayalam and Sagwan in Hindi. It is also known by the names Saigon, taku, saj, etc.

The trees grow slowly (an inch in about four or five years), erect and as a strong tree. The leaves are big (up to 40 cm long) and rough. Trees grow up to 40 meters tall.

The tree produce flowers and seeds, but the propagation is mainly by planting stumps. It is a hard thing to make the seed sprout. Teak trees grow abundantly in nature without any human intervention though. The western Ghats are an excellent source of teak wood.

The red cassia (Cassia roxburghii) is a beautiful ‘red shower tree’ native to south India. The large shrub like tree grows to a height of five meters and produces flowers of red, pink, orange or rose. They are planted as avenue trees, alongside roads and paths for shade and coolness. The flowers appear in clusters. The long fruit bears several seeds. The main attraction is clusters of bright colored flowers that almost fully cover the tree.

Red cassia is also called Ceylon Senna. The tree is found in Sri Lanka too.

The fruits and bark are used in treating different diseases.

Cassia roxburghii belongs to the plant family Caesalpiniaceae.

 

Orchid tree or the variegated bauhinia forms an exotic flowering plant found mostly in western India. It is also known by the name mountain ebony. The tree grows up to 12 meters in height. The tree produces bright white to pink flowers, which give out a characteristic pleasant smell. It bears a long pod-fruit, which bears several seeds.

It is used as an avenue tree and in landscaping.

Silk cotton tree (Cochlospermum religiosum) is a flowering tree native to North India. The silk cotton tree is one among the biggest flowering trees of India, easily reaching a height of about 15 m.

During summer, the tree produces yellow flowers that completely cover the trees. The leaves will be completely shed before the tree appears in full bloom. The flowers give out a pleasant smell. The brown fruit holds a kidney shaped seed.