Shisham / North Indian Rosewood
Dalbergia sissoo
Also known as Indiana Dalbergia, Sissoo
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Telangana & more
- Flowering
- January-April (Fl.); Marchch onwards (Fr.)
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Dalbergia sissoo
- Genus
- Dalbergia
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Planted
- Habitat type
- Cultivated
- Native to
- Indo-Himalayan
- Distribution
- Tropical Himalayas, India, Tropical Africa, West Asia, Myanmar, Bhutan
- Found in India
- Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh
- Flowering & fruiting
- January-April (Fl.); Marchch onwards (Fr.)
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Recorded for Shisham.
Flower & fruit characters
Typical of the Fabaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- शीशम Shisham, Shisham, Sissu
- Nepali
- सिसौ Sisau, सिसौ
- Bengali
- শিশু গাছ
- Tamil
- Chichamaram, Chiche, சிசு மரம்
- Telugu
- Errasisso, Errasissu, శిశం చెట్టు
- Kannada
- ಶಿಂಶಪೆ Shimshape, ಶಿಂಶುಪ Shimshupa, ಬಿರಿಡಿ Biridi
- Malayalam
- ഇരുപുല് Irupul, ഇരുവില് Iruvil, Oivala-sesba, ശിംശപ
- Marathi
- शिसव Shisav, शीशम Shisham, शिसवी
- Punjabi
- ਟਾਹਲੀ
Shisham in India
Shisham is North India's great timber and avenue tree — शीशम Shisham (Hindi), Chichamaram (Tamil), Errasisso (Telugu), ಶಿಂಶಪೆ Shimshape (Kannada), ഇരുപുല് Irupul (Malayalam), शिसव Shisav (Marathi). Dalbergia sissoo is recorded across Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, common along canals, roads and farm boundaries.
Uses
Its hard, durable, beautifully grained heartwood is among India's most valued timbers for furniture, doors and carving. As a nitrogen-fixing legume it is also planted for shade, fuelwood and soil improvement, and parts have minor attributed traditional uses.
How to Identify Shisham
A medium to large tree with a light, open crown. The leaves are compound with a few rounded, abruptly pointed leaflets arranged alternately along the stalk, and it bears small pale, fragrant pea-like flowers followed by thin, flat, strap-shaped pods.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is North Indian Rosewood called in different Indian languages?
- शीशम Shisham (Hindi); Chichamaram (Tamil); Errasisso (Telugu); ಶಿಂಶಪೆ Shimshape (Kannada); ഇരുപുല് Irupul (Malayalam); शिसव Shisav (Marathi); শিশু গাছ (Bengali); ਟਾਹਲੀ (Punjabi).
- What is shisham wood used for?
- Shisham (Indian rosewood) is prized for furniture, doors, panelling and carving thanks to its hard, durable and attractively grained heartwood.
- Is shisham good for the soil?
- Yes — as a nitrogen-fixing legume it enriches soil and is widely planted along canals and field edges for shade and timber.
Fabaceae
Legume/Bean family
Shisham belongs to the Fabaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Fabaceae
View all Fabaceae →Sources: GBIF — Dalbergia sissoo (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · iNaturalist — Dalbergia sissoo (regional names, India observations) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Dalbergia sissoo (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)