Azadirachta indica

Family: Belongs to the Meliaceae family, which includes the Mahoganies – Large Leaf or Honduran Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) and Small Leaf or Cuban Mahogany (S. mahagoni).

Description: Located in the Gardens on lawn near Forestry office; medium sized tree, 15-20 m tall (50-65 ft); is quick growing, gaining up to 3 m per year (10 ft) under optimum conditions; stem short and straight; branches long and spreading, forming dense, large, oval or rounded crown; leaves pinnately compound, to 25 cm (10 in), with terminal leaflet and about 8 pairs of ovate or lanceolate leaflets, 6-8 cm long (2-3 in) and 1-3 cm wide (0.4-1.2 in), with serrated margins; bears many, small white to cream flowers in panicle bunches, 10-30 cm long (4-12 in); fruit an ellipsoid drupe (fleshy with single seed), 1-2 cm long (0.4-0.8 in), greenish yellow when ripe; flowering and fruiting in about 5 years; flowers in dry season and fruit ripens in early part of wet season.

Natural Habitat: An extraordinarily hardy tree; grows in wide range of temperature and rainfall ecosystems, from the Sahara Desert to the wet salty environment of the Florida Keys; does best in seasonal climates with long dry season.

Origin and Distribution: Native to India; introduced and widely cultivated in many semi-arid and sub-humid areas of Asia, Africa, Australia, Latin America and the US; in natural habitat common up to 700 m (2300 ft), but, depending on climate, will grow at elevations up to 1500 m (5000 ft); propagation by seed, which only viable for about 30 days after harvest.