PEEPAL TREE
Family – Urticaceae
or Moraceae
Scientific name –
Ficus religiosa
Common names –
1) Bo tree.
2) Ashvatthame in
Telgu.
3) Asvattha in
Bengali.
4) Pipal in Hindi.
5) Ashathwa in
Marathi.
6) Jari in Gujarati.
Growing areas –
1) Peepal tree
comes form the Himalayan foothills.
2) But it planted
in all the country.
3) It also grows in
Burma.
4) It is also a member
of fig family like Banyan Tree.
General information –
1) It is largest of
the tree belonging to the fig family.
2) It is often
planted near the temples and holy places because it is sacred to Hindus.
3) It is supposed
to be one of the longest living trees.
5) The bark is
light grey and peels of in patches.
6) The tree needs
lot of space and the soil is deep so the roots of this tree can grow away.
7) Lord Buddha was
supposed to have found enlightenment while resting under a Peepal.
Leaves and fruit of the Banyan tree
Leaves of the Peepal Tree –
1) They shed in March and April and in some areas in the
autumn months.
2) The new leaves appear they are pink then they darken
to copper and finally coloured green.
3) They long pointed leaf tip which helps to drain water off
the leaves and dry the leaves after rainfall.
Fruit of the Peepal Tree –
1) Like the banyan tree the flowers are hidden in the
figs.
2) Figs are ripen in May and June generally, but are also
found in different areas at different times.
3) The fig wasp are the visitor these fruits and the
banyan figs.
4) As with the Banyan, when the fruits are eaten by birds or bats the seeds are dropped and start to grow in all sorts of places.
5) It is a common
sight to see a Peepal tree growing from a gutter or the wall of a house. When
this happens, the tiny plant gets all its food from the air and water but uses
the wall or gutter as a support. After a while, if the tree continues to grow
the roots, which are very strong, will begin to break the support and so it is
better to pull out the plant when it is very small and let it grow somewhere
else.
Uses of the
Peepal Tree –
1) Nearly every part
of the tree used as medicine.
2) The reddish dye
is made by the bark of the Peepal tree.
3) The leaves are
used feed camels and elephants.
4) The tree is often
the house of tiny lac insect.
5) The dried leaves
are used for decoration and often painted on.
6) The wood lasts
well in water and is sometimes used for building small boats.
