The botanical name of sal is Shorea robusta. Sal is a species of tree in the family Dipterocarpaceae, native to India, Bangladesh, and other parts of Southeast Asia. The tree is moderate to slow-growing, and can grow up to 30-35 meters tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 2-2.5 meters. The bark of the young tree is smooth with a few long deep and vertical furrows, and the leaves are ovate-oblong, 10-25 cm long and 5-15 cm broad. The flowers of the sal tree are whitish in color and appear in early summer, borne in raceme-like panicles in leaf axils, covered with white pubescence. Sal is valued as a holy tree and is known for its medicinal, religious, and commercial uses.