Sowing months
Jun–Jul
Sunlight
Full, hard sun
Water
None once established
Mature size
6–12 m
First harvest
Pods year five
Family
Fabaceae
Where it grows
ground
Good for
biodiversity, food
Sow in
monsoon
Care
The single most useful tree in the desert.
The pod of the khejri — the vegetable that carries the Thar through summer.
Growing it
The single most useful tree in the desert.
What it is for
Ker-sangri; fodder; desert soil holding.