Chinaberry is an Asian shade tree that was widely planted in the southern US and is now an invasive weed tree across much of the South. Its clusters of fragrant lilac flowers are followed by marble-sized yellow fruits that are poisonous to people. It is also called Pride of India and Persian lilac.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A fast-growing deciduous tree, usually 23–40 ft (7–12 m) tall and sometimes up to about 50–65 ft (15–20 m).
- Leaves
- Large leaves, usually about 1–2 ft (30–60 cm) long and sometimes longer, are divided two or three times into many small, toothed leaflets.
- Flowers
- Small, fragrant, pale purple to lilac flowers with five petals, in loose, branching clusters.
- Fruit
- Each round, marble-sized fruit holds one hard seed. It ripens light yellow and turns wrinkled and nearly white over the winter.
Look-alikes
Western soapberrySapindus saponaria drummondii
Soapberry leaves are divided only once, with up to 18 leaflets, and its small flowers are white. Its amber fruits look see-through, while chinaberry fruits are solid yellow and its leaves are divided twice.
Why they get mixed upBoth trees have yellowish berries and feathery compound leaves.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- roadsides
- fencerows
- old fields
- woodland edges
- riverbanks
- Range
- Native to tropical Asia and Australia. It was brought to South Carolina and Georgia around 1830. It was then widely planted across the southern states and has escaped into the wild throughout the Southeast, including Florida and Texas, west to Oklahoma and north to Virginia.
- Preferred conditions
- Needs open sun but handles wet or dry soil. It spreads into disturbed ground first, then into pastures, woodlands, and streamside areas.
Life cycle
- Seed dispersal
- The fruits stay on the tree after the leaves drop. Birds eat them and spread the seeds, which can stay alive for at least 26 months.
Growing it
- Care
- Hardy in USDA zones 7–10. Florida experts do not recommend planting it in the northern part of the state because it escapes into the wild.
- Toxicity
- The fruits are poisonous to people if eaten, and the plant is toxic to cats. Many birds eat the fruit without harm, though they sometimes act "drunk" afterward.
Name and classification
- Varieties and forms
- A dome-shaped form, 'Umbraculiformis', is sold as Texas umbrella tree.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
- Status
- Florida lists it as a Category II invasive plant.
- Threats
- Its leaf litter raises soil pH and adds nitrogen, changing the soil chemistry, and it can crowd out native plants in both disturbed and fairly natural areas.
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- The hard seeds have long been strung into beads, including rosaries.
- The leaves and fruit have been used as a natural insecticide.
More species to explore
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