Pongamia Pinnata, Karanj - 0.5 kg Seeds

Karanj or Indian Beech (Pongamia pinnata, also known as Millettia pinnata) is a medium-sized, fast-growing tree with a spreading crown of glossy green leaves and fragrant lilac-white pea flowers. A nitrogen-fixing legume, it is highly valued in agroforestry and as a hardy avenue and shade tree. Its seeds yield Karanj oil, used traditionally for lamps and skin ailments and promoted as a biodiesel feedstock, while the leaves and seed-cake serve as green manure.

It grows along riverbanks, coasts and roadsides throughout India, tolerating drought, waterlogging, saline and alkaline soils, which makes it a key species for reclaiming degraded and coastal land. Bark, seeds, leaves and oil all feature in traditional medicine.

• Family: Fabaceae (Faboideae)
• Native region: Indian subcontinent and tropical Asia / Australia
• Mature height: 8-15 m
• Growth rate: Moderate to fast

Extract the single seed from the woody pod and soak it in water for 24-48 hours before sowing. Sow about 2 cm deep in well-drained nursery soil kept warm and moist; germination usually follows in 1-2 weeks. Raise the seedlings in bags for a few months and transplant at the onset of the monsoon.