The Cape Lilac thrives in regions with a moderate climate and prefers areas with an altitude range suitable for its growth. It adapts well to diverse climatic conditions and is known to tolerate a wide range of altitudes, making it a versatile plant in various environments.
Common Name: Cape Lilac
The Cape Lilac (Melia azedarach) is a medium-sized deciduous tree native to south Asia, Mexico, and Australia. It is known for its drought hardiness, prolific seeding, and the presence of azadarachtin, a naturally occurring insecticide found in its leaves, seeds, and fruit. The tree has various uses, including as a source of firewood, timber for furniture-making, and as a medicinal plant for promoting menstruation and eliminating worms.
Melia azedarach
India
- The Cape Lilac, also known as Melia azedarach, is a medium-sized deciduous tree native to south Asia, Mexico, and Australia. - It is drought hardy and can tolerate areas with 600-1,000 mm of rainfall or drier areas near water sources or when irrigated. - The tree is best suited to deep, well-drained sandy loam soil, but it can adapt to various soil types. - Mature Cape Lilac trees are resistant to temperatures as low as -15°C, but young trees can be killed by frost. - The tree seeds prolifically, which has given it a poor reputation as a garden tree, but it is valued for its attractive flowers and scent. - Cape Lilac wood is moderately soft and used for various purposes such as tool handles, cabinet making, furniture, turnery, and paper production. - It coppices readily, making it a good source of firewood, and the leaves are used as fodder for goats. - The tree contains azadarachtin, a natural insecticide also found in the neem tree, which makes it effective against pests. - Azadarachtin is a systemic pesticide that is absorbed by plants and works from within, starving insects that try to feed on the treated plants. - The Cape Lilac oil is used for head lice protection and to kill mosquito larvae without harming fish. - Medicinally, the root bark is used as a purgative, emetic, and to promote menstruation. The bark is also used as a tonic and remedy for hysteria. - The seeds and oil of the fruit help eliminate worms, and the gum extracted from the tree is used for spleen enlargement. - Cape Lilac seed oil is used for soap making and hair oils, and the seeds are used for rosary beads. - The tree can be used as a basis for pesticides against various pests such as the Angoumis grain moth, cabbage worm, fungi, grasshoppers and locusts, mosquito larvae, nematodes, painted bug, rice weevil, and tobacco cutworm.
- Deep, well-drained sandy loam - Adaptable to a wide range of soils
Family: MELIACEAE
Other common names include: azadarach, white cedar, China berry, bead tree, Indian lilac, pride of China. A medium sized (6 - 30 m and 50 - 80 cm diameter) deciduous tree, native to south Asia, Mexico and Australia. It is drought hardy and grows well in areas with 600 - 1,000 mm of rainfall or in drier areas along water courses or when irrigated as is done in the Middle East for firewood. Best suited to a deep, well drained, sandy loam, but adaptable to a wide range of soils. Young trees can be killed by frost but mature trees are resistant to temperatures as low as -15°C.
It seeds prolifically which has caused it to have somewhat of a poor reputation as a garden tree, although the flowers and scent have been the major attraction in planting. The tree is said to be fire retardant and is a valuable bee forage. The wood is moderately soft, is weak, brittle, and susceptible to termite damage but is used for tool handles, cabinet making, furniture, face veneers, turnery, cigar boxes and the manufacture of writing and printing paper.
It coppices readily and is a source of firewood. The leaves are used as fodder for goats.
An exciting use of this tree is as an insecticide. The leaves, seeds and fresh fruit contain azadarachtin, a naturally occurring insecticide for which the neem tree, a close relative of Melia azedarach has become famous. Azadarachtin is a systemic pesticide which is absorbed into a plant and works from within. Most insects will starve before eating plants treated with
azadarachtin. It also appears to be repellent to nematodes and is effective in protecting stored food from pests. The oil is effective protection from head lice (but is claimed not to be danger-ous to humans) and poured on water, wilt kill mosquito larvae (but is claimed not to be danger-ous to fish, although the Australian Aboriginals use the bark and leaves as a fish poison). The fruits have been used as a flea powder.
Medicinally the root bark is made into a decoction and acts as a purgative and emetic, espe-cially in large doses, and is also used to promote the onset of menstruation and is said to be cathartic, and in large doses slightly narcotic. The bark is bitter and astringent and is used in India as a tonic and is used as a remedy for hysteria. The seeds and oil of the fruit promote the elimination of worms. 60 grams of bark to 750 ml water and boiled down to 375 ml, one teaspoon every 2 - 3 hours or 20 grams of powdered bark for an effective dose against worms. A gum extracted from the tree is used for spleen enlargement.
Seed oil is used for soap making and hair oils. The Hindu considers it as a stomachic and taps it for toddy. The seeds are used for rosary beads.
Can be used as a basis for pesticides
Angoumis grain moth (Silophilus oryzae): ether and petroleum ether extracts of the fruit are toxic to this pest.
Cabbage worm (Pieris brassicae): dust leaves with powdered fruit or 50 - 100% water extract spray.
Fungi (Heminthosporium spp and Alternaria tenius) inhibited by cold water leaf extract.
Grasshoppers and locusts: 2% powdered fruit in suspension in water acts as an antifeedant in grasshoppers (Chrotogonus trachypterus) and dusting crops with the dried seed powder inhibits feeding of desert locusts (Schirtoceroa gregaria) and migratory locusts (Locusta migratoria).
Mosquito larvae: killed by seed oil at 250 ppm.
Nematode (Meliodogyne gavanica): green leaves applied to the soil.
Painted bug (Bagrada cruciferarum): spraying a 2% petroleum ether extract of leaves and seeds.
Rice weevil (Sitophylis oryzae): 2.5-5 parts powdered fruit of cape lilac to 100 parts grain protects the stored grain for 4 months or the leaves can be mixed with the grain.
Tobacco cutworm (Spodoptera litura): extracts of fruit.