Write a short note on Sal tree.
- This tree is native to the Indian subcontinent. In India, it extends from Assam, Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand west to the Shivalik Hills in Haryana, east of the Yamuna. The range also extends through the Eastern Ghats and to the eastern Vindhya and Satpura ranges of central India.
- In Nepal, it is found mostly in the Terai region from east to west, especially, in the Sivalik Hills in the subtropical climate zone. It is also found in the lower belt of the Hilly region and Inner Terai.
- The sal tree is known also as sakhua in northern India, including Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Jharkhand.
- It is the state tree of two Indian states - Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
- Sal has a moderate to slow growing, and can attain heights of 30 to 35 m. In wetter areas, Sal is evergreen; in drier areas, it is dry-season deciduous, shedding most of the leaves in between February to April, leafing out again in April and May.