The Chinaberry Tree is a subtropical, deciduous tree with airy clusters of lavender-purple flowers and large, fern-like leaves. It is widely grown as an ornamental tree and as a shade tree for its durability, its fast growth rate and its ornamental flowers and fruits. Leaves are compound, dark green and shiny. They have many ovate, toothed leaflets that have long, pointed apices. They turn yellow in the autumn. The delicate flowers have 5 spreading petals and a stamen tube that is deep, rich purple. The flowers have a delightful, light, lilac-like scent. The flower clusters are followed by large clusters of globose, light yellowish-brown fruits. The fruits persist on the twigs in the winter. The fruits contain a hard, light brown, 5-ribbed seed. The Chinaberry has a broad, rounded or umbrella-shaped canopy. It is in the Mahogany family. It has high quality, light brown to dark red wood that is used for a variety of purposes. M. azedarach is native to Southeast Asia and northern Australia. It is also known as White Cedar, Persian Lilac, Bead Tree, Pride-of-India and Umbrella Tree. It is often planted as a shade tree because of its dense canopy. It is planted in parks, public gardens, stream banks and along footpaths or roadsides. The fragrant lilac flowers and yellow fruits of White Cedar make it an appealing ornamental tree. The hard seeds of the plant can also be used in art and crafts, including making beads for rosaries.
Growing Instructions
The seeds have a hard seed coat that has to be treated, or scarified, in order for water to enter the seeds so that they can sprout.
1. To scarify the seeds, nick or sand the seed coat with sandpaper.
2. Soak the seed in water for 24 hours.
3. The seeds like moist, well-drained soil. Prepare a mixture of half potting soil and half sand, perlite or vermiculite. Put the soil in a pot. Water the mixture so that it is moist but not wet.
4. Put the seeds on the soil.
5. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil.
6. Water the seeds.
7. Place the pots in an area with warm temperatures in full sun or part shade.
8. When the seedlings are a few inches tall, they can be transplanted.