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Tree · Syzygium cumini
Jamun (Java plum)
जामुन (jamun)
IUCN LC · Least concern
A big evergreen with a dense dark crown, planted along avenues for shade, and dropping purple-black astringent fruit in the monsoon.
👀 How to recognise it
Glossy leathery leaves that smell faintly of turpentine when crushed, and in June–July a purple-stained pavement underneath.
Where to see it
Delhi
Jamun is the avenue tree of Lutyens' Delhi: the deep shade over the central roads in June is almost all one species, and the purple stain on the pavement is the giveaway.
Lodhi Garden · Amrit Udyan (Rashtrapati Bhavan Gardens) · Sunder Nursery