Neem tree
A tropical plant. It occurs in most of Africa in both wet and dry areas. It grows in the Sahel. It originally comes from India. They can stand temperatures up to 49°C. Temperatures below freezing kill the plant. In Africa trees mostly grow between 50 an 1500 m altitude. They do best in dry subtropical climates. It will grow on dry shallow soils but grows on most kinds of soils. It can grow in soils with pH of 5 but does best with pH of 6.2. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 11-12.
Also known as:
Bevu, Dogon yaro, Geed hindi, Hithigas, Indian lilac, Ka dau, Kadu-nimb, Limba, Limbo, Limdo, Mahaneem, Mandvi, Margosa tree, Mirimiri, Neem dari, Niem, Nim, Nimba, Nimbay, Nimboni, Nimkauli, Nimpata, Nimu, Phak ka dao, Phak ki nin, Pichumarda, Sadao, Sau dau, Sdao, Sdav, Svay reanov, Tama, Tamaga, Turi forta, Vapa chettu, Vembu, Vepa, Veypa marum
Synonyms
- Antelea azadirachta (L.) Adelb.
- Azadirachta indica va. siamensis Valeton
- Melia azadirachta L.
- Melia indica Brand.
Edible Portion
- Fruit, Leaves, Flowers, Sap, Caution, Vegetable, Seeds, Seeds - oil
Where does Neem tree grow?
Found in: Africa, Algeria, Andamans, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial-Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Sahel, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad-Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Virgin Islands, West Africa, West Indies, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Notes: Leaves contain 15 % protein. There are 2 Azadirachta species. It is used in medicine and as an insect repellant. It has anticancer properties.
Status: Famine food. It is cultivated. Leaves are sold in local markets. The pulp of the fruit is especially eaten by children.
Growing Neem tree
Cultivation: Trees can be grown from seed. Seed need to be fresh as they only remain viable for 1-2 weeks. Seeds planted in nurseries need to have roots pruned off regularly. Seedlings can be planted out after 14-18 weeks. A spacing of 5 x 10 m is suitable. Fruit fall naturally during the rainy season.
Edible Uses: The young leaves are cooked and eaten in India. They are eaten raw or fried along with other vegetables. They have a bitter taste. They are used in soups and curries. The flowers are used to flavour food. They are fried in oil or ghee. The pulp of the fully ripe fruit is eaten raw or cooked or used for drinks. Oil from the seeds can be used for cooking after being refined. The leaves and flowers are bitter unless cooked. The sap from the branches is fermented into an alcoholic drink and drunk. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer. Caution: Alkaloids in the fruit and bark contain alkaloids that cause vomiting.
Production: It is a fast growing plant and can be 4-7 m in 3 years. A mature tree produces 20-50 kg of fruit. Trees can last for 100 years.
Nutrition Info
per 100g edible portion| Edible Part | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | Iron (mg) | Vitamin A (ug) | Vitamin c (mg) | Zinc (mg) | % Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Leaves | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Flowers - flavour | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Sap | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Neem tree Photos
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