Flora in Kanha National Park

The forests in Kanha are mainly Sal (Shorea robusta) and mixed deciduous. Abundant rainfall and fertile soils have helped these trees reach great height and magnificent proportions especially around the meadows. The other common flora in Kanha National Park is bamboo of the species – Dendrocalamus strictus. The main habitats of Kanha have been divided into:

• Sal (defined as a zone with over 50% sal trees, Shorea robusta): mostly in valleys (18.08%)
• Sal/bamboo: mainly lower slopes (5.07%)
• Mixed sal, together with jamun, saja, and other species (13.21%)
• Mixed sal/bamboo (7.34%)
• Mixed : upper plateau areas (16.05%)
• Mixed bamboo (24.8%)
• Valley grasslands (6.4%)
• Dadar (plateau) grasslands (2.61%)
• Grasslands with mixed forest tree species (2.88%) to Agriculture and human habitation (3.5%)

Over 50% of the park is dry deciduous woodland on hilltops and slopes with species such as Acacia torta, Anogeissus latifolia, Bauhinia retusa, Buchanania lanzan, Butea monosperma, Boswallia serrata, Semecarpus anacardium, Largerstroemia parviflora, Terminalia arjuna, Tichebyla, T.bellirica, Emblica officinalis and Mallotus philippensis.

The meadows (15% of the park area) are of two types – former village fields dominated by coarse Pennisetum alopecurus; and the drier uplands of the dadars (plateaus) dominated by Themeda triandra, with many other species viz. Dichanthium, Chlonis, Eragrostis, Heteropogon and Eulalia.