Fabaceae
How to identify a tamarind tree
Tamarindus indica · also called tamarindo (Spanish), me (Vietnamese)
Brown pods with tangy-sweet, acidic pulp central to countless cuisines — pad thai, chutneys, agua fresca. One of the most drought-hardy trees on this list, with pods typically maturing in the dry season.
Field marks
These features are typical of the genus Tamarindus, so they help confirm you are looking at the right group; the fruit and the details below separate the species.
- Fine, feathery leaves made of many small paired leaflets.
- Fruit are brown, brittle, curved pods with sticky brown pulp around the seeds.
Check a photo
Photograph one whole, mature leaf from above, or a flower or fruit, and the identifier will return ranked matches. If tamarind is the top result, the field marks above are your second opinion.
Leaves, flowers, fruit, or bark — closer and sharper identifies better. Your photo is identified and discarded, never stored.
Where and when you will find it
- Origin / cultivation history
- Likely tropical Africa, long naturalized and cultivated across South Asia
- USDA zones
- 10-11 (mature trees tolerate brief light frost)
- Climate
- Tropical to subtropical, notably drought- and heat-tolerant; a long-lived, slow-growing large shade tree.
- Fruiting season
- November, December and January (typical, Northern Hemisphere)
- How often grown
- Widely grown
Fruit is the most reliable way to confirm an identification, so November, December and January is the easiest window. Outside it, rely on the leaves and the overall habit. A tree growing well outside the climate above is more likely to be a look-alike.
Growing it: seedling or grafted?
A young tree with no fruit is harder to identify and easy to mislabel, so it helps to know how long it takes to reach fruiting age and how it is usually propagated.
- Years to first fruit
- Seedling 6-8 yrs; grafted 3-4 yrs
- Propagation
- Grafting, seed.
Relatives in the Fabaceae family
Close relatives share many features, so these are the most likely mix-ups.
Map your tamarind trees
CanopyTwin keeps every tree on a map with its species, cultivar, photos and history, and counts flowers and fruit from survey photos. It is built for orchards, nurseries and collectors of tropical and rare fruit.
More identification guides: free plant identifier · tropical fruit tree identifier · fruit tree identifier · all species guides