Uses of Neem Tree

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The neem tree is one of the most versatile of India’s plants. Valued for centuries throughout tropical Asia for its multitude of medicinal and other uses, it has ­recently attracted attention in the United States as an effective botanical insecticide.

The umbrella-shaped neem, a member of the mahogany family (Meliaceae), grows to about 50 feet tall. It is generally evergreen, though in some areas it may be briefly deciduous. Its foot-long leaves are divided into 8 to 18 toothed leaflets which measure 1 to 4 inches long by 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches wide. Fragrant white flowers about 1/2 inch broad in branching groups crowd in the leaf axils. The thin-fleshed, egg-shaped yellow fruits measure about 3/4 inch long and contain a single seed.

The common name neem is derived from nimba, the Sanskrit word for this tree. Botanists know it as Azadirachta indica, the generic name coming from Persian words meaning “free” or “noble tree” and the species name being Latin for “Indian”.

Neem is native to India and much of tropical Asia, and is widely cultivated in the tropics and subtropics, ­particularly in arid regions. It has been introduced in much of Africa, and it is grown as a shade tree in the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia. It is planted as a street tree in Haiti and is also cultivated in Guatemala, Cuba, and Nicaragua. It grows in Hawaii and Florida but rarely flowers in the latter state. In areas where temperatures dip below freezing, neem must be grown in a greenhouse or in pots which can be brought indoors during cold ­weather.

The neem tree thrives in most soils, even saline and alkaline ones, but it does better on dry, poor, rocky soils than on wet ground. The roots can penetrate a hard clay pan, which tends to increase soil fertility and helps to neutralize acidic soils.

Uses

Is there a part of the neem tree that hasn’t been found useful? The wood, durable and resistant to insect attacks, has been used for everything from furniture to boat oars, from agricultural implements to drums and carved images. Like its relative mahogany, it takes on a good polish.

The young, tender branches have been widely used in India and other countries as “chewing sticks” to keep the teeth and gums clean and healthy. Commercial toothpastes containing neem extracts are now available in India, Europe, and the United States. Limited clinical trials have shown neem toothpaste to be a potential treatment for gingivitis. Neem branches are also placed in stored grain to repel insects.

The bitter leaves and flowers are eaten as a potherb, and the fruit is also edible. In Indian folk medicine, the leaves are prescribed for many ailments, including intestinal parasites, swollen glands, bruises, sprains, and malaria. Leaf extracts have been shown to have antiviral activity and delay blood clotting (confirming their efficacy as traditional snakebite treatments), and the leaf essential oil has strong antibacterial and antifungal ­activity. Research on neem’s potential against malaria is now under way in Africa.

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