India’s rich biodiversity is home to some of the most spectacular flowering trees, adding bursts of colour to landscapes throughout the year. From the blazing red Gulmohar to the fragrant Champa, these trees enhance natural beauty and hold cultural and ecological significance. If you’re a nature lover or a travel enthusiast, here are 10 must-see flowering trees in India and where you can find them.
The Gulmohar, known as the Flame of the Forest, is famous for its fiery red-orange blooms. These trees create beautiful canopies in summer, especially in coastal regions and avenues of South India. Bengaluru and Mumbai are known for their Gulmohar-lined streets. The tree can also be found in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra.
Also called the Golden Shower Tree, the Amaltas drapes itself in yellow flowers during the summer. It is easily spotted in states like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, at Delhi’s Lodhi Gardens, or even Rajasthan’s desert landscapes. But not many know that the tree is honoured as the state flower of Kerala as well!
Known as the Flame of the Forest, the Palash tree lights up dry landscapes with bright orange-red blossoms in spring. This tree is deeply rooted in Indian folklore and is widely found in Jharkhand’s forests and Odisha’s tribal regions.
Kachnar is admired for its pink, purple, and white orchid-like flowers that bloom in spring. The tree is commonly found in northern states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Delhi, gracing parks and roadsides. Its buds are edible and often used to prepare traditional kachnar curry.
The Parijat tree, or Night Flowering Jasmine, is revered in mythology and has fragrant white blossoms that fall at dawn. The famous Parijat tree in Kintur, Uttar Pradesh, is believed to be date back to Mahabharata era. The legend goes that the beautiful tree emerged during the Samudra Manthan.
This high-altitude tree paints the Himalayan slopes in hues of red and pink during spring. The forests of Sikkim and the Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand offer scenic rhododendron landscapes.
Also known as Frangipani, the Champa tree has delicate, fragrant white or yellow flowers that bloom year-round. These trees are commonly found near temples and in gardens across Tamil Nadu and Odisha.
The Silk Cotton tree, or Semal, bursts into large red blooms in early spring before shedding its leaves. These striking trees are often spotted in the central and northeastern parts of India, like Assam, Chhattisgarh and Bihar, adding a splash of colour to forests and riverbanks.
With its round, golden-orange flowers, the Kadamba tree is associated with Hindu deity Krishna. The trees are commonly seen in Uttar Pradesh (particularly Vrindavan), West Bengal, and Karnataka’s Western Ghats. The fragrant blooms are a delight during the monsoon season.
Also called the Ironwood tree, Nagkesar has star-shaped white flowers with a captivating fragrance. It is commonly found in the rainforests of the Western Ghats and Assam’s Kaziranga National Park.