Meet the Indian Neem Tree... "The Village Pharmacy"

While relatively new in the Western world, all parts of the neem tree – referred to as the ‘Village Pharmacy’- have been used in India for thousands of years.  We use neem oil in horticultural applications to control insect pests, but it is also increasingly used worldwide as an insect repellent, skin care ingredient, contraceptive, and medicine with hundreds of uses.

There’s lots of buzz about neem oil, and other products from the exotic Indian tree, but less so about the tree itself. So what's the scoop on the Neem tree?

Azadirachta indica  is the botanical name for the neem tree, and translates as "The Free Tree Of India"

The neem tree belongs to the botanical family Meliaceae; the same family as the mahogany tree.

It’s an attractive, fast growing shade tree that can with spreading branches with dark green leaves that form a dense, round canopy, up to 60’ wide. The neem tree can grow to 100’ tall but typically tops out around 30’-40’

The neem tree has large clusters of aromatic flowers made up of up to 250 individual white blooms that can be smelled miles away.

The olive like, fruit is oval to round and thin skinned, and while edible, is not especially tasty. Every neem fruit contains one, and sometimes two or three, seeds.

The Neem tree is easy to grow in a wide range of temperatures and conditions, and can live for 150+ years.