Sowing months
Jun–Jul
Sunlight
Full sun
Water
Sparingly; sharp drainage
Mature size
8–12 m
First harvest
Heartwood from year fifteen
Family
Santalaceae
Where it grows
ground
Good for
biodiversity, healing
Sow in
monsoon
Care
Plant a nitrogen-fixing host shrub beside it or it will not thrive.
The scented heartwood tree of the southern Deccan — a hemiparasite that needs a host.
Growing it
Plant a nitrogen-fixing host shrub beside it or it will not thrive.
What it is for
Sandalwood oil by tradition; a protected species — grow it legally.