Bauhinia Retusa - 0.5 kg Seeds

Bauhinia retusa (Bauhinia retusa), known locally as Semla or Kandla, is a small-to-medium deciduous tree of the sub-Himalayan tracts, valued for the clear gum (Semla gum) that exudes from its bark. It carries the characteristic two-lobed, camel-foot leaves of the genus and bears creamy-white to yellowish flowers before producing flat, woody pods.

In India it is found through the foothills of the Himalayas, the Shivaliks and the drier mixed forests of the north, growing on stony and well-drained slopes. The tree is used for fuelwood, leaf fodder for cattle and goats, its commercial gum, and as a hardy ornamental and soil-binder on degraded land.

• Family: Fabaceae (Caesalpinioideae)
• Native region: Sub-Himalayan northern India
• Mature height: 8-12 m
• Growth rate: Moderate

To raise from seed, extract the flat seeds from mature dry pods and soak them in water for 24 hours to soften the coat. Sow about 1-2 cm deep in well-drained nursery soil during late spring or the early monsoon; germination usually takes 1-2 weeks. Transplant the seedlings to the field when they reach 20-30 cm and the rains are established.