PlantFiles: Tamarind Tree
Tamarindus indica

I found these seeds under it's tree in Mexico on vacation back in April, 2004. I found them in drawer this spring & planted 3 seeds --2 grew. One is now about 7inches high & I could not remember what the tree looked like. I posted a pic of it in a forum & someone mentioned Tamarind, so I looked it up here. Sure enough, that's what it is! It is so graceful looking- no one around here ever saw anything like it. I have a 13 ft high sunroom that I grow citrus & tropicals in, but this one might just get too big for it unless I can somehow dwarf it. Maybe root pruning , like bonsai? After 2 yrs in a unsealed plastic bag, it still germinated to my surprise!

My tree was around 5 foot when planted in 1998. Wonderful shade tree with lacy looking foliage. Interesting look when the pods are hanging from the tree. The tree was damaged in Hurricane Charlie and again in Wilma. Big limbs split off from the main trunk like a wishbone... but it did not bat an eye so far. It just keeps growing. Some of the limbs grow out and downward giving me the feeling like it is reaching out to protect the plants in the area. I keep the limbs trimmed so I can walk under it.

The pods on the ground are perfect to be eaten, so no need to worry about trying to reach the taller branches to get the fruits. The sweet pulp inside the thin shell is a bit acid, but sweet, somewhat refreshing in my opinion. You can eat it in natura, but it´s more commonly used in candies and juices.

This plant is quite easily grown from seed if the seeds are fresh. I'm not sure how long the seeds stay viable. I soaked them for a couple of days first, and they came up in less than two weeks. Once established they need plenty of sun.