Currently approx 40cms tall and will fruit in 3 years. Of all the fruit trees in the tropics the Tamarind fruit tree is the most widely distributed and appreciated as an ornamental. The sour and fruity taste merges well with the heat of chillies. It gives many South Indian dishes their hot and sour character and their dark colour. In India the tamarind is mostly combined with meat or legumes eg. lentils, chickpeas or beans. The pulp is sold dry and must be soaked before usage. Only the water is then added to the food. Alternatively tamarind extract may be used with the same effect. The tamarind is a slow growing but long lived tree reaching up to 30 metres. It is highly wind resistant with strong graceful branches with rough fissured bark. The fruits look like beans and are borne in great abundance along the new branches. They range from 5-20cm in length and can be from 2-3cm in diameter.

Self pollinating, can handle some frosts, loses some leaves in winter.