Neem
Azadirachta indica A.Juss.
Neem (Azadirachta indica) is a drought-tolerant mahogany-family tree; its bitter leaves, flowers and bark contain azadirachtin — used as a natural pesticide and medicine; young shoots are boiled and made into bitter neem salads in southern Vietnam.
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Neem — Flowers (2)Neem — Tree
Neem — Leaves
Neem — Tender shoots
Neem — Flowers
Neem — FruitsNeem — Flowers (2)Neem — TreeLife cycle
From seed to productTree
A tree 15–30 m tall with a broad crown.
Leaves
Pinnate leaves, bitter taste.
Flowers
Cream-white flowers, honey-scented.
Fruit
Drupes with oil-rich seeds.
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh)45%
- Indochina (Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia)25%
- Other Southeast Asia10%
- Africa & Middle East (introduced)10%
- Tropical Americas & others10%
Chemical composition
Relative content in agarwood resin- Triglycerides & fatty acids70%
- Other substances (vitamins, aromatics)20%
- Water5%
- Limonoids (azadirachtin, nimbin)2%
- Protein & nitrogen compounds1.5%
- Unsaponifiable matter1.5%
Uses
- Medicine: leaves, bark and oil for skin diseases, fever, diabetes and toothache; used in Ayurveda and Southeast Asian folk medicine
- Pesticide: azadirachtin is a natural, low-toxicity insecticide; neem oil and leaf extracts protect crops
- Food: young shoots and flowers boiled with dipping sauce or made into bitter neem salad (gỏi sầu đâu), served with braised fish — a southern Vietnamese staple
- Other: twigs for toothpicks and toothbrushes; termite-resistant timber; planted for shade, soil improvement and erosion control
Properties
- Form
- Evergreen tree
- Taste
- Characteristically bitter
- Hallmark
- Azadirachtin insecticide
- Uses
- Medicine, pesticide, neem salad
Habitat & conservation
Neem is native to the Indian subcontinent and Indochina and is now planted across the tropics and subtropics. It favours hot climates, tolerates drought extremely well, prefers deep well-drained soils and thrives on poor and coastal sandy soils. In Vietnam it is common in the south, especially the Mekong Delta: young shoots and flowers go into soups and the bitter salad gỏi sầu đâu; the tree is also grown for shade and timber.
Conservation
Assessed by IUCN as Least Concern (LC). Mahogany family (Meliaceae), genus Azadirachta.
References
- 1Plants of the World Online — Azadirachta indica A.Juss. — Kew Science, 2026
- 2Azadirachta indica (neem) — mô tả, phân bố, sử dụng — Wikipedia tiếng Anh, 2026
- 3Sầu đâu — đặc điểm, công dụng — Wikipedia tiếng Việt, 2026
- 4印楝 Azadirachta indica — 形態、藥用 — Wikipedia tiếng Trung, 2026
- 5Nguồn ảnh: Mokkie (CC BY-SA 3.0) / Nkpelawuni (CC BY-SA 4.0) / Sindugab (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Wikimedia Commons,
- 6Nguồn ảnh: Palash90 (CC BY-SA 3.0) / Mukesh721 (CC BY-SA 4.0) / Amizhthamathi Ponnuswamy (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Wikimedia Commons,