A Miyawaki forest is a small, dense forest of native species, planted close together in several layers so that it grows into a self-sustaining native woodland within a few years. The method was developed by the Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. In India it is widely used on urban plots, campuses, factory boundaries and degraded land, and companies fund many Miyawaki forests through CSR.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
How the Miyawaki method works
- Study the site: soil, water and the native species that would naturally grow there.
- Prepare the soil: loosen it and add organic matter, so roots can grow quickly.
- Choose many native species: canopy trees, smaller trees, shrubs and ground cover, mixed together.
- Plant densely: several saplings per square metre, so plants compete for light and grow upwards.
- Mulch and water: a thick mulch layer keeps moisture in during the first years.
- Care for two to three years: watering, weeding and replacing losses until the canopy closes and the forest looks after itself.
Why companies choose Miyawaki forests
- They fit small spaces: campuses, factory boundaries, housing societies and school grounds.
- They create visible green cover close to offices, which employees can visit and help plant.
- Native species support birds, pollinators and local biodiversity.
- They qualify as CSR under Schedule VII (environmental sustainability). See CSR rules for tree plantation.
Miyawaki forests by state
Andhra Pradesh · Arunachal Pradesh · Assam · Bihar · Chhattisgarh · Goa · Gujarat · Haryana · Himachal Pradesh · Karnataka · Kerala · Madhya Pradesh · Maharashtra · Manipur · Meghalaya · Mizoram · Nagaland · Odisha · Punjab · Rajasthan · Sikkim · Tamil Nadu · Telangana · Tripura · Uttar Pradesh · Uttarakhand · West Bengal
Miyawaki forests by city
Agra · Ahmedabad · Akola · Aligarh · Allahabad · Ambala · Amravati · Amritsar · Aurangabad · Bangalore · Bareilly · Begusarai · Bhatpara · Bhavnagar · Bhilai · Bhiwandi · Bhiwani · Bhopal · Bhubaneswar · Bidar · Chandigarh · Chennai · Coimbatore · Dehradun · Delhi · Dhanbad · Faridabad · Gaya · Ghaziabad · Gorakhpur · Gulbarga · Guntur · Guwahati · Gwalior · Hindupur · Hosur · Howrah · Hubli-Dharwad · Hyderabad · Indore · Jabalpur · Jaipur · Jalandhar · Jammu · Jhansi · Jodhpur · Kalyan-Dombivli · Kanpur · Karimnagar · Khammam · Kolkata · Kota · Kozhikode · Loni · Lucknow · Ludhiana · Madurai · Mangalore · Meerut · Moradabad · Mumbai · Mysore · Nagpur · Nanded · Nashik · Navi Mumbai · Nizamabad · Noida · Panipat · Patna · Pimpri-Chinchwad · Pune · Raipur · Rajkot · Ranchi · Rourkela · Saharanpur · Salem · Sangli · Shimoga · Shivamogga · Sikar · Siliguri · Solapur · Sonipat · Srinagar · Surat · Thane · Thiruvananthapuram · Tiruchirappalli · Tirunelveli · Udaipur · Ulhasnagar · Vadodara · Varanasi · Vasai-Virar · Vijayawada · Visakhapatnam · Warangal
Questions about Miyawaki forests
- What is Miyawaki Forest Method?
- How Many Trees Per Square Meter in Miyawaki Method?
- What Types of Native Trees Are Used in a Miyawaki Forest in India?
- How Much Land is Required to Create a Miyawaki Forest?
- Miyawaki Plantation Soil Preparation: Complete Guide
- Miyawaki Forest: How Long to Become Self-Sustaining?
- What is the Survival Rate of Trees in a Miyawaki Forest?
- What Are the Costs Involved in Setting Up a Miyawaki Forest?
- Is Miyawaki Plantation Suitable for Corporate CSR Initiatives?
- What Permissions Are Required for Miyawaki Plantation Projects?
- Miyawaki Forest Mistakes: What to Avoid for Success
- What Myths Exist Around Miyawaki Forests in India?
Plan a Miyawaki forest with Grow Billion Trees
We design, plant and care for Miyawaki forests for companies across 14 states, with native species chosen for each site and three years of care. Every tree is geo-tagged and tracked on GreenTrack, and 85% of trees survive across our programmes. See the Miyawaki forest programme and projects across India, or talk to our team.
