Sea Almond Tree

We often come across people who enthusiastically plant Badaam trees, eager to pick small delicious almonds off of their branches. These people are often dismayed when they find out that what they planted was in fact the ‘Laal Badaam’ Tree!

So, this Badaam however is not the same almond you might be thinking of. This is a very tropical tree which has edible purple fruit. Its inner seed is edible, hence the name Badaam.

As a beach forest species, this tree is prolific in coastal regions all around the Indian Ocean. So, you’ll see the tree everywhere from the beaches of Pattaya all the way to Karachi! It's often planted in other tropical areas like Cuba or Brazil for its ornamental value. As a coastal species, it's very salt and wind resistant and overall a great choice anywhere in Karachi.

The tree develops distinctly tiered (see Pagodas) layers with large curved leaves that are similar to a stand fan’s blades. Its trunk is slender and dark in colour when old. It’s an excellent shade tree owing to its large, expansive canopy. Badaam trees grow some 35 feet tall though typically younger specimens are not taller than 20 feet. This however, might be because they’re often planted in rather unfavourable conditions.

Badaam trees are, very notably, one of Karachi’s only deciduous trees. In the spring, the tree turns a bright scarlet and drops all its leaves, looking bare for a few days. Quickly then, it pushes out an entirely new brilliant lime green canopy. This whole process is rather swift, happening in under two weeks.