Neem

Scientific name: Azadirachta indica

POWO Status: Tree

IUCN Red List threat level: Least Concern

GPS Location: 17° 42′ 57.76″ N, 64° 49′ 51.60″ W

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Observations:

Phenological Markers – Azadirachta indica

Common Name: Neem Tree
Scientific Name: Azadirachta indica A. Juss.
Family: Meliaceae

Leaf Phenology

  • Leaf Type: Pinnately compound with 5–15 sharply serrated leaflets
  • Deciduous Status: Semi-deciduous — may shed many or all leaves during extended dry periods or seasonal droughts
  • Leaf Flush: New leaves typically emerge in late dry season to early rainy season, often in sync with flowering
  • Senescence: Yellowing and drop of older leaves during dry season or stress; often followed immediately by new growth

Flowering

  • Inflorescence: Axillary panicles of small, fragrant, white to cream-colored flowers
  • Blooming Period: Typically late dry season to early rainy season (spring to early summer in tropics)
  • Pollinators: Bees and other small insects
  • Phenological Indicator: Dense sprays of small white flowers among or just after new leaf flush

Fruiting

  • Fruit Type: Smooth olive-like drupe; green when unripe, yellow when mature
  • Fruit Development: Begins soon after flowering and matures in 1–3 months
  • Dispersal: Birds, bats, and other animals; also gravity
  • Phenological Indicator: Green to yellow fruits hanging singly or in small clusters along branches

Suggested Photo Angles

  • Full tree (noting rounded crown and spreading limbs)
  • Leaf flush and compound leaf close-ups
  • Flower panicles (small, white, abundant)
  • Immature green and mature yellow fruits
  • Seasonal leaf drop or transition from bare to flushed canopy

Notes for Monitoring

Useful for tracking seasonal transitions from dry to wet periods in the landscape

Azadirachta indica is native to South Asia but widely planted across the tropics for its medicinal, pesticidal, and drought-tolerant qualities

Leaf flush, flowering, and fruiting are often closely timed and offer excellent seasonal markers

In dry tropics, the tree may become nearly leafless before flushing and blooming explosively

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