During my explorations in parks to find the Tesu tree in Jaipur, I spotted this visual feast in the crimson shade of Semal flowers & trees. Unaware of the name of the tree, a street vendor in the vicinity came to my rescue; he mentioned it was a Semal tree. It’s easiest to spot the Semal tree in Jaipur during springtime. There are many Semal or silk cotton trees in the C-Scheme, JLN Marg, among other places in Jaipur. Many of these trees are quite old. During the spring season in Jaipur, the Semal Trees are an absolute treat for eyes.

Semal Tree | Everything you want to know

There are many Semal trees or Silk Cotton trees in the central areas of Jaipur, especially around Central Park. Previously, I wrote a blog on the Flame of Forest | Tesu tree in Jaipur. Flame of the Forest or Tesu tree flowers are used for preparing organic Gulaal. Gulaal is a powder used in Holi – the festival of colors.

Silk Cotton Tree Names

The botanical name of the Semal Tree is Bombax Ceiba or Salmalia Malabarica in English; it is called the Silk Cotton Tree. Semal Tree in Hindi is called – शाल्मली, काटेसांवर. In India, people commonly call it Semal ka Ped. A few people claim Shalmali word owes it origin from Sanskrit language.

In Jaipur, it is difficult to find Tesu trees in the urban landscape of Jaipur. In contrast, the Semal Tree is easy to spot on roadsides across central areas of Jaipur, like C-Scheme.

Semal Tree Flower

It’s a beautiful tree with big & bright red flowers which stands out among the surroundings. Its flower has 5 petals which only appear in the spring before the new foliage.

Each of these flowers produces more than 7-8 million pollen from its 70-90 anthers for which cross-pollination is important. This is achieved with the help of birds and insects drawn by their color & beauty.

The flower produces a capsule, its fruit. This fruit of Semal tree is a ball-like structure that appears during April and is full of cotton-like fiber called Kapok. This pod like structure is called Dhepa or Semal Gulla in the Hindi heartland of Uttar Pradesh. The hot & dry summer weather makes the capsule open, allowing the seeds to fly with the winds due to their fluffy structure. It is common to see the ground around the tree carpeted with these cotton-like structures during the summers. In the ensuing months, the lucky seeds germinate into a plant due to rains. Here are pictures of the fluffy cotton-like structure produced by the Semal tree.

Semal Tree Uses

The tree is not merely beautiful, every part is useful. Here are some common uses of the tree.

• The bark of the Semal tree is softwood, used in the match sticks. Since the bark lasts long even when submerged in water, fishermen use it as a float. Its seed produces edible oil, used in making soaps.

• Fabric – In rural areas, it is for this fiber that villagers gather Semal fruit. Kopak is used for filling low-priced pillows and quilts, which are commonly used in rural areas in India.

• Medicinal uses- Ayurvedic medicines are prepared from the gum produced by this tree. Almost every part of the tree has medicinal use in Ayurveda.

• Culture – Many tribal communities in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh worship Semal tree. They derive many uses from this tree; it’s a part and parcel of their everyday life. The tree attracts many birds and bees, after all, that’s what bright-colored flowers are for.

• Festival & customs- According to customs, the stem of this tree is used as Holi-Danda during Holika Dahan on Holi as it is considered a symbol of the mythological character Prahlad. This has resulted in the cutting of the Semal tree at a fast pace in certain regions.

Semal Tree Price

The wood from this has a good demand. Semal tree wood prices range from Rs 250 to 400 per cubic foot.

The fall in the population of Silk Cotton tree, an important tree species has worried environmentalists. It’s imperative that we conserve this tree species to ensure the balance in ecology as many birds and bees depend on this tree. Cutting any link in the food chain has a disastrous effect. Reduction in the bee population in some places is already a concern. It’s being said that if the bees vanish from this planet, the extinction of the human population is guaranteed!

It’s interesting to note how both Tesu and Semal tree is linked with the festival of Holi. Both these trees bloom during the March-April period during which the Holi is celebrated and has bright flowers. Somehow it seems nature has planned it out, so well!!

I hope to see a lot more Semal trees in Jaipur, after all, It’s a beautiful tree. It will be interesting to mention that one of the famous writers from India- Ruskin Bond has also written about this tree in his book – The World of Trees. He has a chapter called The Feast in the Semal Tree. Have you read this book?

Have you ever spotted one in your vicinity?

Check out other stories in the Trees of Jaipur.

Stay updated via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram