¿¿A beautiful tropical fruit tree that can grow up to a height of¿¿ about 50 feet high.¿¿ Tall and graceful tree that is often used as a wind-break in the Caribbean Islands.¿¿ Easy to grow from seed.¿¿ The ripe fruit is small brown pod about four inches long.¿¿ While green, it used as a seasoning for fish and meat dishes.¿¿ The ripe fruit used to make a sugary sweet or candy preserves.¿¿ The ripe fruit is also crushed to make a drink with a strong aromatic flavor and refreshing taste.¿¿¿¿¿¿ It is a beautiful landscape tree in tropical regions.¿¿ It is drought tolerant and easily grown from seeds.¿¿¿¿ Tamarinds are famous for the part they play in the processing of Angostura¿¿ Bitters.
Tamarindus indica, commonly known as the Tamarind, is a large tropical tree with a short massive trunk, ferny pinnate leaves, small yellow flowers and fat reddish brown pods. The tree can get 25 in height tall but is usually less than 15 metres in cultivation. It has a short, stocky trunk, drooping branches and a domed umbrella shaped crown about as wide as the tree's height. The leaves are about 25 cm in length withh 10-18 pairs of 2.5 cm oblong leaflets.
Tamarind drops its leaves in pronounced dry seasons; in climates without a dry season it stays evergreen. The flowers are about 2.5 cm across, pale yellow with purple or red veins. They have five unequal lobes and borne in small drooping clusters. The velvety cinnamon brown pods are 5 to15 cm long, sausage shaped and constricted between the seeds. The pulp that surrounds the seeds is both sweet and extremely sour. Tamarinds are grown as ornamental shade and street trees, and for the edible pods. The pods are fed to livestock, and the pulp within the pods is used to make beverages, curries, chutneys and sauces. Tamarind pulp is made into a soft drink known as refresco de tamarindo in Latin America, and tamarinade in Jamaica. It's also the basis of a popular drink in the Middle East.
Tamarind is used extensively in Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine, and is an important ingredient in Worcestershire sauce. The juice is used to pickle fish in India. The tamarind tree is a beautiful, fine textured tree and it makes an excellent shade tree in large landscapes. It often is planted in public parks and as an avenue tree in tropical cities. It makes an excellent bonsai subject.
Tamarind is a slow growing tree that, once established, needs no attention at all. It is moderately salt tolerant and can be grown in coastal locations, back away from the actual beach front. It is best in full sun with regular watering. It is fairly tolerant of drought, but will drop its leaves during even normal dry seasons. It is hardy in USDA Zones 10 - 11.
