Ashok

Saraca asoca

Beng: Ashok Hindi: (Sita) ashok

A small to midsized evergreen spreading tree famous for its pale-apricot flowers which turn red.

Bark: Smooth, brownish

Leaf: Feather compound, 3-6 pairs of oppositely arranged leaflets up to 9’’ long, glossy above, dull below.

Flower: Orange red, in cluster often directly from stem. Has similarity with red ixora (rangan)

Fruit: pod 4 – 10’’ long slightly curved, flat, tapering at both ends contains 4-8 seeds

Season: Usually never leafless. Flowering start from mid to late Feb and continues till Apr. Young purplish pods start appearing in Apr tur darker as they mature in July/Aug.

Range/habitat: The tree is a native of many parts of India and Malaya, partial to moist forests. This tree is being depleted rapidly from its natural habitat in the Western Ghats range of India and has been 'red listed' and categorized as 'vulnerable' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Trivia and notes: One of the most revered trees in India having numerous mentions in sacred texts of both Hindu and Buddhist religion.

Where to find: Southwest part of Rabindra Sarobar (BRC) next to a small bridge over an artificial tank (22.50915N,88.35613E). There is another in this area close to the compound wall