Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Azadirachta indica
A.Juss., Meliaceae
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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results: 

Hawai‘i/Pacific:  High risk, score: 10 (updated 2 July 2009) (Hawaii‘i/Pacific weed risk assessment for Azadirachta indica)
Risk assessment from the Government of Queensland, Australia (PDF format)

Other Latin names:  Antelaea azadirachta (L.) Adelbert; Melia azadirachta L.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Indian lilac, margosa, neem, nim

French: azadirac d'Inde, margosier, margousier

Habit:  tree

Description:  "A large treeLeaves 20-30 cm long, crowded near the ends of the branches, pinnate.  Leaflets 10-12, 7 X 2.5 cm, serrate.  Flowers white, scented.  Anthers 10.  Ovary 3-celled.  Drupes ovoid-oblong, smooth, yellow when ripe."  (Maheshwari, 1963; p. 99)

"A large glabrous evergreen tree, heartwood red, hard.  Leaflets 7-9 pair, often alternate, obliquely falcate-lanceolate, serrate, the odd one often wanting.  Flowers white, strongly honey-scented, pentamerous, in axillary panicles shorter than leaf.  Staminal tube 10-dentate, anthers inserted within the tube opposite its teeth.  Drupe the size of an olive, yellow, afterwards purple, kernel cartilaginous, 1-celled, 1-seeded, cotyledons plane-convex, fleshy, notched at base"  (Brandis, 1907; p. 139).

Habitat/ecology:  Commonly cultivated in semi-arid to wet tropical and subtropical regions.  Can grow on dry, infertile sites but grows best when it has adequate water.  In Fiji, "cultivated and sparingly naturalized at low elevations"  (Smith, 1985; p. 530).

Propagation:  Seed, fruits distributed by birds and bats. May sucker from the roots. Can also reproduce from cuttings.

Native range:  India into Malesia as far as Java (Smith, 1985; p. 530).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
American Samoa
Tutuila Islands
Tutuila Island introduced
cultivated
Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2000) (p. 32)
Cook Islands
Southern Cook Islands
Rarotonga Island   Sykes, Bill (year unknown)
Federated States of Micronesia
Pohnpei Islands
Pohnpei Island introduced
cultivated
Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 112)
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Viti Levu Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Smith, Albert C. (1985) (p. 530)
Vouchers cited: DA 11757, DA 7250, DA 18850, DA 2064
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Viti Levu Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1959) (voucher ID: BISH 15188)
Taxon name on voucher: Azadirachta indica A.Juss.
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Viti Levu Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1976) (voucher ID: BISH 417165)
Taxon name on voucher: Azadirachta indica A.Juss.
Guam
Guam Island
Guam Island introduced
Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 40)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Kaua‘i Island introduced
cultivated
Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2013) (p. Voucher specimen)
Vouchers cited: T. Flynn 3091 (BISH 560018), C. Imada 2001-72 (BISH 683552)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
O‘ahu Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Lau, Alex/Frohlich, Danielle (2012) (p. 19)
Voucher cited: OED 2009021302 (BISH)
Marshall Islands
Ratak Chain
Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll introduced
cultivated
Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 107)
Rare.
Marshall Islands
Ratak Chain
Wotje (Wõjjã) Atoll   National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2009) (voucher ID: PTBG 49745)
Taxon name on voucher: Azadirachta indica
New Caledonia
New Caledonia Archipelago
Île Grande Terre introduced
cultivated
MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 100)
Vouchers cited: MacKee 34891, MacKee 42476
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)   Waterhouse, Barbara (year unknown)
Wallis and Futuna
Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands
Wallis (‘Uvea) Island introduced
cultivated
Meyer, Jean-Yves (2007) (p. 28)
Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Australia
Australia (continental)
Northern Territory introduced
cultivated
Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 144)
Australia
Australia (continental)
Queensland introduced
cultivated
Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 144)
Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia (Republic of) introduced
invasive
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Naturalized
Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia (Republic of) possibly introduced
cultivated
Hanum/I. Faridah/Van der Maesen, L.J.G, eds. (1997) (p. 72)
Malaysia
Malaysia
Malaysia (country of) introduced
invasive
cultivated
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Naturalized
Malaysia
Malaysia
Malaysia (country of) possibly introduced
cultivated
Hanum/I. Faridah/Van der Maesen, L.J.G, eds. (1997) (p. 72)
Singapore
Singapore
Singapore (Republic of) introduced
invasive
Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 17)
Casual
Thailand
Thailand
Thailand (Kingdom of) introduced
invasive
cultivated
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Naturalized
Thailand
Thailand
Thailand (Kingdom of) possibly introduced
cultivated
Hanum/I. Faridah/Van der Maesen, L.J.G, eds. (1997) (p. 72)
Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Maldives
Maldive Islands
Malè Atoll cultivated
Fosberg, F. R. (1957) (p. 23)
Voucher cited: Fosberg 36908 (US)
Mauritius
Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)
Mauritius Island introduced
invasive
Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 144)
Mauritius
Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)
Mauritius Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Naturalized
Seychelles
Seychelles Islands
Seychelles Islands introduced
Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)
Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
United States (continental except west coast)
United States (other states)
USA (Florida) introduced
Hanum/I. Faridah/Van der Maesen, L.J.G, eds. (1997) (p. 72)

Comments:  Some naturalizing occurring on the Cape York, Peninsula, Queensland, Australia (Barbara Waterhouse, pers. com.).

Control:  If you know of control methods for Azadirachta indica, please let us know.


Need more info? Have questions? Comments? Information to contribute? Contact PIER! (pier@hear.org)

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This page was created on 1 JAN 1999 and was last updated on 5 NOV 2011.