Phulai/ Phalahi/ Amritsar Gum/ Black Sally (Acacia modesta) is a small deciduous tree with a rough brownish-grey bark. Thorns are in pairs, recurved, shining brown below the leaf stalk. Flowers are borne in stalked spikes. Seed pods are thin, flat and bear 3-5 seeds. Compound leafs with 3-5 leaflets. The tree blooms in March-May and attracts bees. The tree is known as Phalahi in Punjab. The tenth Guru – Gobind Singh is said to have tied his horse to a Phalahi tree near Alamgir in Ludhiana after leaving Muslim brothers Ghani Khan and Nabi Khan. A Sikh Temple (Gurdwara) marks the site and the Phalahi tree is said to be surviving till date.
