Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) Gardening
Tamarind (Tamarindus indica syn. Tamarindus officinalis, Tamarindus occidentalis) is a pod-bearing tree in the family Fabaceae, native to Sudan, and tropical East Africa and West Asia, and is widespread throughout the tropics. Mexico and Asia are the largest commercial producers and consumers of tamarind.
Tamarind is a medium-growth, long-lived bushy tree, growing 20-25 m tall with drooping branches. It has very deep and extensive root system, and can withstand strong wind. During pronounced dry season, the tree sheds its leaves. In human agriculture, the drooping branches are often pruned to optimize tree density and ease of fruit harvest. The compound, evergreen leaves are 6-12 cm long and are made up with little leaflets. The leaflet tips are minutely notched and the leaflets fold together at dusk.
The five-petaled, 2.5 cm wide flowers are yellow with orange or red streaks, and are borne in small racemes. The buds are rose red as the four sepals are rose red, and are lost when the flowers bloom. The fruit is a sausage-shaped pod with a hard, brown shell, 4-20 cm long, pithy green inside when unripe, and contain brown, soft, fleshy, acidic pulp and many square, glossy dark brown or black, hard-coated seeds when ripe. The ripened fruit is more palatable than the green, unripe fruit. The flesh of ripened fruit is sweeter and less sour or acidic. Tamarind is harvested by pulling the pod from its stalk. A mature tree can produced up to 175 kg of fruits per year.
The Asian tamarinds have longer pods, containing 6-12 seeds, whereas African and West Indian varieties have short pods with each containing 1-6 seeds. The taste of tamarind is best described as sour with a sweet taste, and is high in tartaric acid, sugar, vitamin C, B vitamins, and calcium. The pulp of tamarind is used in syrup, juice concentrates and food preparation such as chutney, pickles, meat preparations and curries.
Tamarind trees grow well in full sun or light shade, soil with a pH of 4.5-8.7, and can tolerate a great diversity of soil types. They are frost sensitive, and young tree should be protected from cold. Tamarind tree is an excellent shade tree in medium -large landscapes.
Propagation is by seeds, Veneer grafting, shield budding, and air layering. Seeds can be briefly boiled or scarified to enhance germination.
Tamarindus indica (leaves and fruit)
Author: Forest & Kim Starr (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Tamarind
Author: Politikaner (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
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