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Scientific: Melia azedarach
Common: Chinaberry
Family: Meliaceae
Origin: Southeastern Asia and northern Australia, naturalized in the tropics of the Americas, in the southeastern United States, and in Hawaii.

Invasive Alert: China berry is an invasive tree in many areas around the world including 18 states of the United States.

Pronounciation: MEL-ee-a a-za-DAR-ich

Hardiness zones
Sunset
6, 8-24
USDA 7-11

Landscape Use: Large residential deciduous shade tree found mostly in older neighborhoods of Phoenix, nostalgia landscapes.

Form & Character: Symmetrical, upright and umbrella top, rounded, massive, sturdy, old fashioned, heavy looking, formal, seasonally colorful otherwise stoic.

Growth Habit: Deciduous, woody, perennial broadleaf tree, moderately fast growth to 30- to 50-feet tall, often with a much greater spread.

Foliage/Texture: Alternate, twice pinnately compound leaves to nearly 2-feet long. Leaflets medium green, serrate margins and elliptic in shape tapering to an acuminate tip; medium coarse texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Clusters of lilac colored flowers in spring.   China berry bear fruit in clusters.  Individual fruit are rounded, 3/4-inch wide, yellow, hard and indehiscent (persistent).

Seasonal Color: Heavily lilac fragranced flowers in spring as new leaves emerge, some yellow leaf color in fall.

Temperature: Hardy

Light: Full sun

Soil: Tolerant

Watering: Regular to infrequent during summer, no irrigation is required during the winter.

Pruning: Elevate canopy base and remove root and shoot sucker growth as needed. Some target Texas umbrella tree for the "zats" haircut, otherwise referred to professionally as "pollarding".

Propagation: Seed, stem cuttings, or tissue culture.

Disease and Pests: Trunk heart rot caused by decomposing fungi is especially prevelant on chronically "zatsed" (poorly pruned) trees, Texas root rot in landscapes whose soils were once used to grow cotton.

Additional comments: Chinaberry is a tough and resilient period tree that was popular in Phoenix prior to 1980, but is now relegated to older neighborhoods of Phoenix including mobile home trailer parks. It can be quite messy (leaves and fruit primarily), but will also take a large amount of neglect. Melia azedarach 'Umbraculiformis' (Texas umbrella tree) is more common in the nursery trade and has a distinct rounded form. If allowed, then this tree can reseed and naturalize in irrigated landscapes.