Mast tree is popularly known as Ashoka tree in India and is planted as roadside and garden tree in almost all the cities of India.
Another common name is Cemetry tree. In Kannada it is known as Ubbina and Sanskrit it is known as Putrajiva. Botanical name is Polyalthia longifolia and belongs to Annonaceae family. It is a native of India and Sri Lanka.
The Mast tree grows to a height of 25 feet and can be shaped in any manner you like. The shape depends on the pruning. The bark is smooth and dark greyish-brown. The branches droop downwards.
The leaves are green, long, tapered with wavy edges. Flowers bloom in clusters and are off-white, delicate and puffy. They bloom from March to April
The fruit is small and purple with one seed and ripen in September and October.
Mast tree can be grown easily by seeds or by cuttings. Plant them in full sun.
