States
North CarolinaTennesseeGeorgiaSouth CarolinaKentuckyAlabamaArkansasFloridaLouisianaMississippiVirginiaWest Virginia
Menu

Chinaberry

Melia azedarach

Found in disturbed areas, abandoned rural yards and fields; commonly cultivated in our area (mainly in the Coastal Plain) and commonly escaped. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

-30
Harmful

Not native to Mississippi. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 82%

Height
30–40 feet
Spread
30–40 feet
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to wet
See native alternatives

Do not plant. Listed invasive in Mississippi.

Plant this instead

Choose your county to list local plants first.

  • Staghorn Sumac
    Rhus typhina

    Sun: Full sun. Soil: Dry to average. Flowers: Red.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

  • Washington Hawthorn
    Crataegus phaenopyrum

    Sun: Full sun. Soil: Somewhat dry to average. Flowers: White.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

  • American Persimmon
    Diospyros virginiana

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Yellow, green, orange or white.

    Similar growth form, spread, evergreen or deciduous

Refine these alternatives in the finder

Check a whole list of plants

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
April to June
Fruiting season
August to December

Recorded in 50 Mississippi counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

1CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including MS

Genus host records with ranges including MS · Melia

  • Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
2BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Melia

  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Meliaceae
Hardiness
Zones 7a–10b
Flower color
Pink or purple
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Single stem
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
August
Fruit ends
December

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Persian Lilac; Pride of India; Umbrella Tree

Conservation status

Mississippi rankSNA
Global rankGNR
MS statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources