What is Flame of the Forest called in different Indian languages?

पलाश (Hindi); புரசு (Tamil); మోదుగ (Telugu); ಪಲಾಶ (Kannada); പ്ലാശ് (Malayalam); पळस (Marathi); পলাশ (Bengali); કેસૂડો (Gujarati); पलाश / किंशुक (Sanskrit).

Why is palash called the flame of the forest?

In spring the leafless tree covers itself in vivid orange-red flowers, so a hillside of palash looks as if it is on fire.

Is palash used for Holi colours?

Yes — the flowers (tesu) are the classic traditional source of natural orange-yellow Holi colour, made by soaking them in water.

✿Fabaceae · Butea

Butea monosperma

Palash / Flame Of The Forest

Also known as Bastard Teak, Bengal Kino Tree

Native in Indian regions · Kew WCVPTreeoutdoor

Habit: Tree
Found in India: Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka & more
Flowering: January-July

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One plant. Many familiar names.

Palash in regional languages

Find the name you know, then compare it with the botanical profile. Columns list recorded aliases; they are not paired translations. A Latin spelling appears only when it is present in the source record.

Recorded regional names for Palash
Language	Regional script	Recorded Latin spelling
Hindi	पलाश	palash
Nepali	पलाँसको बोट	Not recorded
Bengali	পলাশ	Not recorded
Tamil	புரசு · பலாசு · புரசை	Not recorded
Telugu	మోదుగ	Not recorded
Kannada	ಪಲಾಶ	Not recorded
Malayalam	പ്ലാശ്	Not recorded
Marathi	पळस	Not recorded
Sanskrit	पलाश किंशुक	Not recorded
Gujarati	કેસૂડો · ખાખરો · પલાશ	Not recorded

See the original recorded names

Hindi: पलाश palash
Nepali: पलाँसको बोट
Bengali: পলাশ
Tamil: புரசு, பலாசு, புரசை
Telugu: మోదుగ
Kannada: ಪಲಾಶ
Malayalam: പ്ലാശ്
Marathi: पळस
Sanskrit: पलाश / किंशुक
Gujarati: કેસૂડો, ખાખરો, પલાશ

Ecology & growing context

Native status · Kew WCVP: WCVP native range includes Assam, India, West Himalaya Kew dataset ↗
Kew WCVP dataset; accepted-name match. Dataset matching is separate from an individual regional review. Recorded worldwide native range: Indian Subcontinent to China (SW. Guangxi, Yunnan) and Indo-China.
Recorded habitat: Deciduous forests
Explore nearby plants: Maharashtra →Rajasthan →Karnataka →

Occurrence records show where a plant has been recorded; they do not establish that it is native there. Compare local habitat and growing conditions when choosing plants for a garden.

How to identify Palash

Identify Palash 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: Brilliant orange-red flowers on a leafless tree (flame of the forest).
Confirm leaf type: Trifoliate.
Confirm leaf surface: Tomentose (woolly, matted hairs).
Confirm flower colour: Orange.
Confirm flower arrangement: Raceme.
Use the leaf pattern: alternate leaf arrangement, compound leaves, entire leaf margins, pinnate venation.

Plant Details

Scientific name: Butea monosperma
Genus: Butea
Family: Fabaceae
Habit: Tree
Habitat: Deciduous forests
Habitat type: Forest
Distribution: India, Indo-China, Tropical Himalayas, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailan
Found in India: Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Kerala, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Puducherry, Punjab, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya, Mizoram
Flowering & fruiting: January-July
Conservation status: Least Concern (LC)

Leaf characters

Leaf type: TrifoliaterecordedA compound leaf made of exactly three leaflets.“The leaves are pinnate, with an 8–16 cm (3.1–6.3 in) petiole and three leaflets.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf surface: Tomentose (woolly, matted hairs)recorded

Typical of the family

Arrangement: Alternate
Margin: Entire
Venation: Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Palash itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour: Orangerecorded
Flower arrangement: RacemerecordedIndividual stalked flowers arranged along a central stem, opening from bottom to top.“The flowers are 2.5 cm (0.98 in) long, bright orange-red, and produced in racemes up to 15 cm (5.9 in) long.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fruit type: LegumerecordedA dry pod that splits open along two seams (typical of the pea/bean family).“The fruit is a pod 15–20 cm (5.9–7.9 in) long and 4–5 cm (1.6–2.0 in) broad.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Flower symmetry: Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
Inflorescence: Raceme
Fruit: Legume

Characters marked “recorded” are for Palash itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family — flowering plants only.

Palash in India

When palash blooms, dry Indian forests turn flame-orange — पलाश (Hindi), புரசு (Tamil), మోదుగ (Telugu), ಪಲಾಶ (Kannada), പ്ലാശ് (Malayalam), पळस (Marathi). Butea monosperma is recorded across Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and is celebrated as the 'flame of the forest'.

Uses

Its brilliant orange-red flowers are the traditional source of natural Holi colour (tesu) and are used in worship; the tree is sacred in several traditions. The flowers, bark and seeds also feature in attributed Ayurvedic preparations, and the leaves are stitched into leaf-plates (pattal).

How to Identify Palash

A medium tree, often crooked, that flowers when nearly leafless in spring — dense clusters of curved, beak-shaped orange-red blooms. The leaves are trifoliate with large leathery leaflets, and the flat pods carry a single seed at the tip.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Flame of the Forest called in different Indian languages?: पलाश (Hindi); புரசு (Tamil); మోదుగ (Telugu); ಪಲಾಶ (Kannada); പ്ലാശ് (Malayalam); पळस (Marathi); পলাশ (Bengali); કેસૂડો (Gujarati); पलाश / किंशुक (Sanskrit).
Why is palash called the flame of the forest?: In spring the leafless tree covers itself in vivid orange-red flowers, so a hillside of palash looks as if it is on fire.
Is palash used for Holi colours?: Yes — the flowers (tesu) are the classic traditional source of natural orange-yellow Holi colour, made by soaking them in water.

Botanical family

Fabaceae

Legume/Bean family

Palash belongs to the Fabaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

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Common plant problems

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More in Fabaceae

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Sources: GBIF — Butea monosperma (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · iNaturalist — Butea monosperma (regional names, India observations) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Butea monosperma (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)