India GOTrees of Agra
Peepal (sacred fig)
The tree the Buddha sat under, and the tree Krishna names as himself among trees in the Bhagavad Gita. Peepals are almost never felled, which is why the biggest trees in an Indian city are usually this species.
Ficus religiosa
Neem
Mughal garden planting at Agra leaned on neem, mango and cypress for the shade avenues; the neem lines at Ram Bagh follow the oldest surviving Mughal garden plan in India.
Azadirachta indica
Red silk-cotton tree
One of the best trees in an Indian city for watching birds: in February and March a single flowering semal will hold a dozen species at once.
Bombax ceiba
Banyan
The banyan is worshipped on Vat Savitri, when married women tie thread around the trunk. Village assemblies and markets traditionally met under one.
Ficus benghalensis
Madar (crown flower)
Aak flowers and leaves are offered to Shiva and to Hanuman, and the plant grows precisely where nothing is cultivated, so it is always within reach of a shrine.
Calotropis gigantea
African marigold
Marigolds are the working flower of Indian ritual: strung for doorways, weddings, vehicles and Diwali, and offered where a temple asks for flowers rather than money.
Tagetes erecta
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