Indigenous Trees of Aravali: Ronjh



Ronjh tree (Vachellia leucophloea), also known as the White-bark Acacia, safed kikar, and safed babul, is a moderate-sized, deciduous tree native to South and Southeast Asia. It thrives in arid conditions and poor soils, ideal for reforestation and creating live fences. The tree is not just drought-hardy, but is also able to survive fires and frost.


The Ronjh tree has  a crooked trunk with a light yellowish-grey to nearly white bark (hence "leucophloea") and a spreading, feathery crown and short thorns at the base of its leaves. Flowers are tiny, spherical, light yellow or cream-colored and appear from August to November. The bark is extensively used in traditional medicine to treat bronchitis and asthma. Tannins extracted from the bark are used to distill local liquor (giving it names like Distiller's Acacia or Sharab ki Keekar). The timber yielded is not of great value, but because of its hardness it is used for making posts and beams, carts and their wheels, agricultural instruments and as fuel. The leaves are used as dry-season fodder.

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