Palas
Butea monosperma
Outdoor Plants Difficulty: Easy
📖 About this plant
Butea monosperma (flame of the forest or ‘Palas’/’Phalas’ in Odia, also called Dhak) is a medium deciduous tree of the Fabaceae family. The tree bears stunning bright orange flowers in spring before leaf emergence — making it one of India’s most spectacular flowering trees. Flowers are used to make natural dye (kesari) for Holi festival. Leaves are used as plates and bowls in rural areas. Seeds yield a medicinal oil (palash oil) used in Ayurvedic medicine. The tree is the state flower of Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
☀️
Light
Full sun
💧
Water
Regular; moderately drought-tolerant
💨
Humidity
Moderate
🌡️
Temperature
15-38°C
🪴
Soil
Well-draining loam
🧪
Fertilizer
Compost annually
🌐 Common Names
HI
Hindi
पलास
BN
Bengali
পলাশ
MR
Marathi
पळस
TE
Telugu
పల్లస్
TA
Tamil
பலாசம்
GU
Gujarati
પલાસ
UR
Urdu
پلاس
KN
Kannada
ಪಲಾಸ
OR
Odia
ପଳାସ
ML
Malayalam
പലാശം
PA
Punjabi
ਪਲਾਸ
AS
Assamese
পলাশ
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Indian Subcontinent
- 📏 Max height
- 10-20 m
- 📐 Spread
- 4-6 m
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Spring
- 🎨 Bloom color
- White-yellow
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- 40+ years
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic
- 🌱 Propagation
- Seeds
🛡️ Health & Safety
🐾 Pet safe
✅ Non-toxic
Non-toxic
Common issues
- Leaf spot
- caterpillar defoliation
💡 Care tips
- Plant in well-draining soil with appropriate light.
- Tolerates Indian tropical conditions.
🪴 Add to My Plants
One click — added instantly. Watering every 7 days, fertilizing every 30 days.