Source tree from Shamus O'Leary's Tropical Fruit Trees, March 2017
Besides being a beautiful tree, Neem leaves are powerfully antibacterial / antiseptic. When I am walking around the yard in the morning, I always go to the Neem tree, pluck two leaves and chew them slowly. The flavor is bitter and medicinal, but not unpleasant. In AZ, Neem is an exceptionally fast grower. Went from a 2 ft tree to 10 ft tree in 1 year. The leaves are medium glossy, thick and dark green. Very attractive foliage. Neem is reportedly frost-sensitive, but I have not found this to be the case. No leaf burn in winter, nor defoliation. And my yard got to 29 F in the winter 2017/18.
Spring 2018, Tree in yard after 1 full year. No winter defoliation
Apr 2018, new growth flush and flowers
Apr 2018, Neem Flowers
