The Khejri tree

Prosopis cineraria, commonly called khejri in Rajasthan, is a flowering tree belonging to the pea family Fabaceae. It is native to the arid regions of Western Asia and the Indian subcontinent, thriving in countries such as Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iran, India, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The tree is characterised by bipinnate leaves and a remarkable ability to survive extreme drought conditions.

In India, the khejri holds official status as the state tree of Rajasthan, where it is widely recognised and valued. Its cultural significance is highlighted by a historic episode in 1730 AD at the village of Khejarli near Jodhpur, where local residents, led by Amrita Devi and her daughters, sacrificed their lives to protect khejri trees from being felled for a palace. The incident resulted in the deaths of 363 people and later inspired the Chipko movement of the 1970s, a broader environmental protest.

Beyond India, the species is also the national tree of the United Arab Emirates, where campaigns encourage citizens to plant it to combat desertification. A notable specimen, known as the Tree of Life in Bahrain, stands about 400 years old in a desert environment without obvious water sources, illustrating the tree’s resilience.

Prosopis cineraria has been introduced to parts of Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, where it has become an established species. Its adaptability to harsh, dry climates makes it a valuable component of arid and semi‑arid ecosystems across its native and introduced range.

The Khejri tree, scientifically known as Prosopis cineraria, is a modest-sized tree that typically reaches heights between three and five metres. Its foliage is bipinnate, bearing seven to fourteen leaflets on each of one to three pinnae, and the branches are marked by thorns along the internodes. The tree produces small, creamy‑yellow flowers that give way to seed‑bearing pods.

This species thrives in extremely arid environments, managing to survive where annual rainfall can be as low as fifteen centimetres. Its presence often signals a deep water table beneath the surface, and it demonstrates a notable tolerance for highly alkaline and saline soils, traits shared with some other members of the Prosopis genus.

The Khejri should not be confused with the Chinese lantern tree, Dichrostachys cinerea, which displays bicoloured pink‑yellow flowers. In contrast, the Khejri’s flowers are uniformly yellow and bristled, a characteristic that helps distinguish it from the similar‑looking species.