Environment and Ecology · EnvEco0082
Deciduous and Evergreen Trees of India
Deciduous trees shed most leaves in one season. Evergreen trees stay leafy through the year, but still replace old leaves. Learn the difference through teak, mahua, and jackfruit.
Jump to a section
Must Know: what do the words mean?
A deciduous tree loses most of its leaves during one season. In much of tropical India, that season is dry.
An evergreen tree keeps a leafy crown throughout the year. Its old leaves still fall. New leaves replace them at different times.
Three trees to recognise
- Teak (Tectona grandis) is deciduous. It may look nearly bare before new leaves grow.
- Mahua (Madhuca longifolia) is deciduous. Its flowers and seeds support forest livelihoods.
- Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is evergreen. Its crown usually stays green as leaves change.
Leaf timing changes with rain, soil, age, and local climate. “Evergreen” does not mean that one leaf lasts forever.
Sources: Kew, teak; Kew, mahua; Kew, jackfruit.
QUICK CHECK 1 OF 7 · TRUE OR FALSE
Teak and mahua are deciduous, while jackfruit is evergreen. True or false?
True. These are the three species in the UPSC 2023 count question.
Show answer
True. True. These are the three species in the UPSC 2023 count question.
Good to Know: tree habit versus forest type
A tree’s leaf habit describes one species. A forest type describes a whole plant community and its setting.
Rainfall matters, but the dry season matters too. Soil, altitude, and past land use also shape a forest.
| Forest type | Water pattern | Leaf pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical moist deciduous | Good rain, then a shorter dry season | Many trees shed leaves briefly. Teak can dominate. |
| Tropical dry deciduous | Less rain or a longer dry season | Leaf loss is often clearer or longer. |
| Tropical evergreen | Heavy rain and a weak dry season | Most trees retain leafy crowns. |
| Tropical semi-evergreen | Wet conditions with some seasonal stress | Evergreen and deciduous species mix. |
One garden jackfruit tree does not make an evergreen forest. One teak tree does not make a forest deciduous.
Why people value these trees
Teak supplies durable timber. Mahua flowers are used as food and in traditional drinks. Its seeds yield oil.
Jackfruit supplies fruit. People eat it ripe or cook it unripe. Local uses should not be confused with leaf habits.
Sources: NCERT, natural vegetation; Forest Survey of India, ISFR 2023.
_of_Odisha.JPG){kind=link}
QUICK CHECK 2 OF 7 · TRUE OR FALSE
Mahua flowers and seeds can support forest-based livelihoods. True or false?
True. Flowers have food and drink uses, while seeds can yield oil.
Show answer
True. True. Flowers have food and drink uses, while seeds can yield oil.
Previous Year Questions: read the exact tree names
UPSC Prelims 2023, Q3
The paper listed jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), mahua (Madhuca indica), and teak (Tectona grandis). It asked how many are deciduous.
Answer: two. Mahua and teak are deciduous. Jackfruit is evergreen.
Botanical names can change. Kew treats the paper’s Madhuca indica as a synonym of Madhuca longifolia var. latifolia.
UPSC Prelims 2015, Q78
The paper asked which Indian forest type has teak as a dominant tree. The answer is tropical moist deciduous forest.
Teak can also occur in other settings. The question asks for its characteristic dominant forest type.
Taxonomy: Kew, Madhuca indica synonym record.
QUICK CHECK 3 OF 7 · TRUE OR FALSE
UPSC 2015 paired teak with tropical moist deciduous forest. True or false?
True. Teak is a characteristic dominant tree of that forest type.
Show answer
True. True. Teak is a characteristic dominant tree of that forest type.
Great to Know: why shed leaves?
Leaves release water vapour through transpiration. A tree must replace that water through its roots.
Leaf fall is one survival response. Trees may also use deep roots, smaller leaves, or other traits.
Evergreen species keep leaves, but they still need water. Their roots and leaves suit different conditions.
Fallen leaves decay on the forest floor. Soil organisms break them down and return nutrients to the soil.
QUICK CHECK 4 OF 7 · TRUE OR FALSE
Tropical deciduous trees may shed leaves during the dry season to reduce water loss. True or false?
True. Fewer leaves can reduce transpiration when soil water is scarce.
Show answer
True. True. Fewer leaves can reduce transpiration when soil water is scarce.
Where do these forest patterns appear?
Central India has broad deciduous forest belts. Teak and mahua occur in suitable parts of those belts.
Wet parts of the Western Ghats and northeast hold evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. The Andaman Islands also have wet tropical forests.
These are broad regions, not sharp borders. Rain, slope, and height can change conditions over short distances.
A slope-side example
Moist wind rises over a hill and drops rain. The far slope may receive less rain. This is a rain-shadow effect.
Two nearby slopes can therefore support different mixes of trees. A forest map is a guide, not a rule for every tree.
Sources: NCERT, natural vegetation; Forest Survey of India, ISFR 2023.
QUICK CHECK 5 OF 7 · TRUE OR FALSE
One evergreen jackfruit tree in a garden proves the whole area is evergreen forest. True or false?
False. Forest type describes the wider plant community and climate, not one planted tree.
Show answer
False. False. Forest type describes the wider plant community and climate, not one planted tree.
Current Affairs: mahua and forest livelihoods
At the March 2026 Van Dhan Conclave, a Union minister named mahua among several forest products. The others included tendu leaves, honey, lac, and sal seeds.
Minor forest produce is a legal and policy term for forest products other than timber. It includes products gathered without felling a tree.
Processing flowers or seeds can add value before sale. The Van Dhan programme aims to help tribal gatherers organise and reach markets.
This does not mean every mahua harvest earns a fair price. Storage, transport, and buyer access still matter.
Source: News on AIR, 29 March 2026.
QUICK CHECK 6 OF 7 · TRUE OR FALSE
The Van Dhan programme aims to improve processing and marketing of minor forest produce. True or false?
True. Mahua is one of many forest products linked to this effort.
Show answer
True. True. Mahua is one of many forest products linked to this effort.
QUICK CHECK 7 OF 7 · TRUE OR FALSE
The 2023 UPSC paper called mahua Madhuca indica, a name Kew lists as a synonym. True or false?
True. Kew links that name to Madhuca longifolia var. latifolia.
Show answer
True. True. Kew links that name to Madhuca longifolia var. latifolia.
Sources and further reading
- FSI: India State of Forest Report 2023, Volume 1
- NCERT: Climate and vegetation
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: mahua taxonomy and range
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: jackfruit taxonomy and range
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research: mahua description
How did you do?
Answer the quick checks throughout this lesson to see your score.
Your score lasts until you reload this page.
Leave a Reply