INTRODUCTION
Pongam is a fast-growing evergreen tree which reaches 40 feet in height and spread, forming a broad, spreading canopy casting moderate shade. The three-inch-long, pinnately compound, glossy green
leaves are briefly deciduous, dropping for just a short period of time in early spring but being quickly replaced by new growth. In spring, Pongam is at its finest when the showy, hanging clusters of white, pink,
or lavender, pea-like, fragrant blossoms appear, the clusters up to 10 inches long. These beautiful blossoms and the glossy, nearly-evergreen leaves help make Pongam a favorite for use as a specimen, shade, or windbreak. It has also been planted as a street tree, but dropping pods often litter the ground. However, the seeds which are contained within the oval, 1.5- inch-long, brown seedpods are poisonous, a fact which should be considered in placing the tree in the landscape, if many children are present.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Scientific name: Pongamia pinnata
Pronunciation: pawn-GAM-ee-uh pih-NAY-tuh
Common name(s): Pongam, Karum Tree, Poonga-Oil Tree
Family: Leguminosae
USDA hardiness zones: 10B through 11 (Fig. 2)
Origin: not native to North America
Uses: large parking lot islands (> 200 square feet in size); wide tree lawns (>6 feet wide); medium-sized
parking lot islands (100-200 square feet in size); medium-sized tree lawns (4-6 feet wide); recommended for buffer strips around parking lots or for median strip plantings in the highway; near a deck or patio; shade tree; specimen; residential street tree; no proven urban tolerance
Availability: generally available in many areas within its hardiness range