Here is everything you need to know before purchasing Shami tree

This plant is from the pea family which is known as Fabaceae. It is national tree of United Arab Emirates. The tree ranges from 9.8- 16.4 feet. The flower of this tree is small and seeds are yellow in color. It is also worshipped on Dussehra festival. The leaves of this trees are distributed among each other on the tenth day of Dussehra. This is done to increase the love between people and to avoid the bitterness and bring out the respect for each other.

This Prosopis Cineraria or Shami is widely used for medicinal purposes. This plant is easily available in nurseries. Some of the common names of this plant are names Shami, Acacia polyacantha wild, gonharea in Orissa, Chikkur in Hindi, etc.

In Karnataka, the flowers flourish on this plant in the month of March-June and fruits in between August-February. While in other parts of India, the flower flourishes in rainy season and fruit in winter. One of the best things about this plant is that it is capable of growing in degraded or poor soil and also in harsh weather conditions.

This plant is being recommended by Ayurveda for the treatment of various diseases like respiratory tract infection, excessive heat, schizophrenia, Loose Motions, herps, etc. The astringent bark and the heartwood are used as a substitute of Acacia catechu which is used for treating bronchial asthma, leprosy, stomatitis, etc. Other than heartwood and bark, decoction of the ground bark is used for gargling the sore throat, while the powdered bark is used for healing ulcers. The leaves of this plant are used in the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery. The liquid extracted from leaves is used for killing intestinal parasitic worms. The pods of this tree are used in the treatment of urogenital diseases. And along with all these, the seeds are known for having the hypoglycemic effect.

Instructions for Planting:

• The minimum temperature should vary between 9-18 degree C and the maximum temperature should range between 40-46 degree C.
• The annual rainfall required for this plant is 200- 800 cm.
• The newly grown plants are sensitive to frost while once matured, this plant can even survive in -6 degrees C.  
• For better and fast growth, use deep sandy loam soil.
• The ideal temperature needed for germination of this plant is 67 degrees F.

Instructions for Care:

• This plant does not need grooming.
• As soon as dry leaves and blooms appear, remove them.
• For germination one of the mandatory requirement is light.
• Do not cover the seeds with the soil instead press them gently in the soil.
• But the baby plants are not capable of handling the direct sunlight.

You can buy the plant here.