Santalaceae · Santalum

Sandal / Sandalwood Tree

Santalum album

Also known as White Sandal Tree

TreeMedicinal
Habit
Tree
Found in India
Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra & more
Flowering
Throughout the year

Plant Details

Scientific name
Santalum album
Genus
Santalum
Habit
Tree
Habitat
Foothills of dry deciduous forests and also in homesteads
Habitat type
Forest
Native to
India
Distribution
India, Malesia
Found in India
Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Puducherry
Flowering & fruiting
Throughout the year
Conservation status
Vulnerable (VU)

Leaf characters

Leaf arrangement
OppositerecordedTwo leaves arise from the stem at the same point, facing each other.The leaves are thin, opposite and ovate to lanceolate in shape. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf shape
LanceolaterecordedLong and narrow, tapering to a point, like a lance head.The leaves are thin, opposite and ovate to lanceolate in shape. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Simple type leaf character
Type
Simple

Characters marked “recorded” are for Sandal itself; the rest are typical of the Santalaceae family.

Local Names

Hindi
चन्दन Chandan, संदल Sandal, chandan
Nepali
श्रीखण्ड Shreekhand, श्रीखण्ड
Bengali
চন্দন Chandan, চন্দন
Tamil
சந்தனம் Chandanam, சந்தனம்
Telugu
శ్రీగంధం Srigandham, శ్రీగంధం, చందనము
Kannada
ಚಂದನ Chandana, ಗಂಧ Gandha, ಶ್ರೀಗಂಧ Srigandha
Malayalam
ചന്ദനം Chandanam, ചന്ദനം, Santalum album
Marathi
चंदन Chandan, श्रीखंड Shrikhand, चंदन
Sinhala
සුදු හඳුන්

About Sandal

Sandalwood Tree (Santalum album) is a tree in the Santalaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and 14 other states. It grows in foothills of dry deciduous forests and also in homesteads. It flowers and fruits through much of the year.

Uses

It is grown for parts that are eaten and distilled for an aromatic oil.

In culture

It is treated as sacred and appears in worship.

Illustration representing the Santalaceae family
Botanical family

Santalaceae

Sandalwood Family

Sandal belongs to the Santalaceae family.

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

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Common plant problems

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