Best Trees to Plant in Pakistan: Neem, Sukh Chain, Shisham
The best trees to plant in Pakistan are the ones that already belong here: neem, sukh chain, shisham, kikar, beri, jaman, amaltas and pipal. Which one suits you depends less on the tree’s reputation and more on your city, your plot size and how close the foundation is.
Before you dig
- Planting months: February to March, or July to August with the monsoon, on the plains. Avoid May and June heat and the December frost weeks.
- Distance from walls: keep big trees well clear of the house, boundary wall and water tank; ask the nursery for the tree’s mature spread and plant at least half that away.
- Pit: roughly 2 by 2 by 2 feet, refilled with the dug soil mixed with a few shovels of compost.
- First summer: deep watering once or twice a week beats a daily splash.
- Not for pots: these are ground trees. A 20 inch pot keeps one small for a few years, no more.
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Why native instead of conocarpus?
Conocarpus went into thousands of road medians because it grows fast and stays green. It is not native, and it offers far less to local birds and insects than a neem or a beri does. Native trees took centuries to fit this climate: they shrug off 45C summers, cope with the monsoon, and feed bulbuls, mynas, bees and butterflies. The trade off is speed. Most natives take a few years longer to give real shade.
Which tree suits which city? The decision table
| Tree | Karachi, coastal | Multan, Sukkur, Bahawalpur | Lahore, Delhi, Islamabad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neem | Plant: handles salt air | Plant: one of the toughest in heat | Plant in Lahore; Maybe in Islamabad, young trees dislike hard frost |
| Sukh chain | Plant: dense shade, takes some salinity | Plant with summer watering in the first years | Plant; wrap young trunks on frost nights |
| Shisham | Maybe: grows, but salty soil slows it | Plant on irrigated ground | Plant; buy a sapling with clean, unblemished bark |
| Kikar (desi babool) | Plant on open land | Plant: thrives on little water | Skip in small gardens: thorns |
| Amaltas | Plant | Plant: golden flowers in peak heat | Plant |
| Jaman | Maybe: needs fresh water | Maybe: only with regular irrigation | Plant where there is space, fruit stains floors |
| Pipal, bargad | Skip near buildings | Skip near buildings | Skip unless you have open land; roots lift walls |
What should you swap, and for what?
- Conocarpus hedge to a row of sukh chain or kachnar if you want screening plus flowers.
- Paper mulberry (jangli toot) to neem or amaltas. Paper mulberry spreads through root suckers and its pollen drives spring allergies in Islamabad; see our pollen calendar.
- Eucalyptus on a small plot to a native that drinks less and drops less litter on roofs.
- Ficus near the house to a smaller amaltas or kachnar.
How do you plant a sapling so it survives the first summer?
- Buy a sapling about 3 to 5 feet tall in a bag, with a straight stem and no circling roots poking out of the bottom.
- Dig the pit a few days early, fill it with water once, and let it drain. If water still stands after a day, the spot is waterlogged; choose another.
- Mix the dug soil with compost, roughly three parts soil to one part compost. No fresh dung: it heats and burns roots.
- Slit the bag, set the root ball so the stem sits at the same level it was in the bag, and firm the soil.
- Make a ring bund about 2 feet across and fill it with water twice in the first week.
- Mulch with dry leaves, keeping them a hand’s width from the stem, and add a stake and a guard against goats.
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, then taper off as the tree settles.
Plant two, keep one
In hot dry cities, put two saplings of the same tree a metre apart in the monsoon. By the next spring, keep the stronger one and give the other to a neighbour. Losing one sapling to a June heatwave then does not cost you a whole year.
Skip pruning in the first two years except for broken branches. Every leaf feeds the young roots, and a tree that is cut back hard in its first summer often stalls.
Which trees and plants to avoid at home?
Avoid big rooted figs within a few metres of walls or pipes, thorny kikar where children play, and kaner (oleander) if you have toddlers or pets: every part is poisonous. Our poisonous plants guide covers the list. If you want fruit as well as shade, look at the beginner kitchen garden for smaller food plants first.
More tree and flower guides live in Phool aur Paudhe.
Check for underground water, gas and sewer lines before digging, and never plant big trees under power lines. Kaner seeds and leaves can be fatal if swallowed; if a child or pet chews any, get to a hospital or vet at once. If you use any spray on young trees, read the label, wear gloves and a mask, and keep children and animals away until it dries.
Best trees to plant in Pakistan: common questions
What are the best trees to plant in Pakistan for shade?
Neem and sukh chain give the best shade for the water they use. Both are native, evergreen on the plains, and cope with heat.
Which tree grows fastest in Pakistan?
Among natives, sukh chain and shisham grow quickly with water. Conocarpus and eucalyptus are faster but are not native and cause problems.
Which trees should not be planted near the house?
Pipal, bargad and other big figs, eucalyptus and large shisham. Their roots and weight can damage walls, floors and pipes.
When is the best time to plant trees in Pakistan?
The monsoon months of July and August, and the spring window of February and March on the plains. In the hills, plant in spring once frost has passed.
Is conocarpus banned in Pakistan?
Rules differ by city and change over time, so check your local authority. Many planners now advise native trees instead.
Which trees are good for Karachi?
Neem, sukh chain, amaltas and coastal tolerant species like gul mohar do well. Fresh water in the first years matters more than the species.
Can I grow neem in a pot?
Only for a few years. A 20 inch pot keeps a neem small and bushy, but it belongs in the ground.
Are neem leaves safe around pets?
Fallen leaves are rarely a problem, but do not give neem oil or neem products by mouth to pets or children.
How often should a new sapling be watered?
Deeply once or twice a week in its first summer, more in a heatwave if the soil is sandy. Check the soil a few inches down before watering.