Babool / Babool Acacia
Acacia nilotica subsp. indica
Also known as Indian Gum Arabic, Black Babool Tree
- Habit
- Tree
- Native to
- Indian subcontinent
- Flowering
- August-April
How to identify Babool
Identify Babool by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a tree habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Indian subspecies of babul, dark rough bark.
- Confirm leaf shape: Feathery bipinnate leaflets.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: August-April.
- Confirm it sits within the Mimosaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Babool.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Acacia nilotica subsp. indica
- Genus
- Acacia
- Family
- Mimosaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Native to
- Indian subcontinent
- Distribution
- India, Pakistan, Arabia, Sudon, Somalia, Senigal, Gambia, Ghana, Togoland, Niggiria, Papua New Guinea
- Flowering & fruiting
- August-April
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Feathery bipinnate leafletsrecorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Babool itself; the rest are typical of the Mimosaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Head
- Fruit
- Legume
Typical of the Mimosaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Gujarati
- બબરિયા Babaria
- Hindi
- बबूल Babool, कीकर Kikar
- Kannada
- ಬಬಲೀ Babli
- Malayalam
- Karivelam
- Manipuri
- ꯆꯤꯒꯣꯡ ꯂꯩ Chigong lei
- Marathi
- बाभूळ Babhool
- Sanskrit
- बब्बुला Babbula, बबुला Babula, बर्बुरः Barburah
- Tamil
- கறுவேளை kaRuvELai
- Telugu
- Nalla tumma
- Urdu
- Babool, Keekar
About Babool
Babool Acacia (Acacia nilotica subsp. indica) belongs to the Mimosaceae family, where it grows as a tree. It is native to Indian subcontinent. Flowering and fruiting run from August to April.
Mimosaceae
Mimosa/Acacia family
Babool belongs to the Mimosaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Mimosaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides