Albizia Odoratissima, Kali Siris - 0.5 kg Seeds

Albizia odoratissima (Albizia odoratissima), called kali siris or black siris, is a large deciduous nitrogen-fixing tree of the legume family growing 15-30 m tall with a dark, rough bark and a dense canopy of fine bipinnate leaves. It produces fragrant, pale yellow-white powderpuff flowers in the hot season, followed by flat brown pods. The tree is native to the deciduous forests of India and is common in the sub-Himalayan tract, central India and the Western Ghats up to about 1,500 m.

Its strong, dark, durable heartwood is used for furniture, construction, agricultural implements and tea-shade plantations, where it is a favoured shade and green-manure tree. The foliage is lopped for cattle fodder, the roots enrich soil nitrogen, and the bark is used in folk medicine. It is valued in agroforestry and as a robust avenue and shade tree.

• Family: Fabaceae (Mimosoideae)
• Native region: Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia
• Mature height: 15-30 m
• Growth rate: Moderate to fast

Sowing the seed: soak the hard-coated seeds in water for about 24 hours, or give them a hot-water treatment (steep in just-boiled water and let cool overnight) to soften the coat and improve germination. Sow 1-2 cm deep in sandy-loam nursery beds or polybags; seedlings emerge in about 7-14 days. Shift the young plants to the field at the start of the rains when they are 30-45 cm tall.