GreenGrid
Contents
  1. Plants of Nepal
    1. 01Browse every plant
    2. 02The five regions
    3. 03Districts Flora
  2. Ecosystem
    1. 01Types of Ecosystem
  3. Climate change
    1. 01What is changing
    2. 02What is Climate Change?
  4. Environment-friendly behaviour
    1. 01Things you can do

Meet me

Khayar

Senegalia catechu

A thorny tree of dry riverbeds. Its heartwood is boiled down to make katha, the brown paste used in paan.

Protected under Nepali law

Doing okay

02

Where I live

Elevation
0 m1001400 m8,848 m

Flowers inJune, July, August

03

My story

  • 01Khayar can grow on stony ground where almost nothing else takes root.
  • 02Its tiny leaves close in pairs along the stalk, which is how it survives the Terai heat.

04

What’s happening to me

  • Taking too much

    How serious4/5

    Katha production needs the heartwood, so the tree must be felled. Slow regrowth on stony ground makes recovery hard.

  • Landslides

    How serious2/5

    Khayar holds dry riverbanks together. Losing it lets the monsoon cut the banks away faster each year.

07

For grown-ups

Scientific name
Senegalia catechu
Family
Fabaceae