Melia azedarach L.

China Berry; Carolina Mahogany; Pride of India

Tree

Perennial

Vascular

China Berry is an introduced deciduous tree in the Mahogany family (Meliaceae). It is native to southern Asia and Australia. In Alabama in can be found nearly statewide. It was at one time widely planted as a shade tree and can be found around old home sites, near barns, along fence rows, around the edges of fields, and in disturbed woodlands. It is a medium sized tree to 50 feet in height. The bark is gray (older) to reddish brown (younger), splitting into long furrows. Twigs are stout with prominent light colored lenticels. Leaves are alternate, concentrated near the tips of twigs, petiolate, and twice or three-times pinnately compound. Leaflets are oval to elliptic in outline, glabrous or sparsely pubescent on the upper surface, and with serrate margins. Flowers are produced in open panicles from the axils of the leaves. Each flower has 5-6 green sepals and 5-6 purple petals. The stamen filaments are untied into a tube in the center of the flower. The flowers are fragrant. The fruit is a yellow drupe with 5-6 seed. China Berry is toxic to livestock which occasionally browse it if more desirable foods are unavailable. The fruit are toxic to humans if consumed, but are eaten with no ill-effect by many birds. China Berry is listed as a Category 2 invasive species by the Alabama Invasive Plant Council. China Berry has also been shown to serve as a host for the Camphor shot borer (Xylosandrus mutilatus) an introduced beetle that attacks the stems of many woody plant species.--A. Diamond

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Not Native

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