Botanists know this tree of the mahogany family as Azadirachta indica . The name neem is derived from the Sanskrit “nimba,” the Hindu “Nimb,” or the Bengali “nim,” which has phonetically come to us as “neem.” The genus name Azadirachta is derived from the Farsi, Urdu and Hindustani “azad dirakht,” which in those languages means “free tree, ” perhaps referring to the plant's ability to unleash nutrients from subsoil on poor arid lands, hence “freeing” the soil. Neem occurs throughout much of southern and southeast Asia, ranging from India, W. China, south to E. Java, and is widely cultivated in tropical areas of the world, especially in arid areas throughout Africa, the Middle East, Central and South America. It is also grown in Hawaii and southern Florida. All parts of the plant are used. Neem seed oil is seen on the American market. Traditional uses of neem have filled several books. Virtually all parts of the plant have been used in folk and traditional medicine in India. The young tender branches are used as chewing sticks (toothbrushes), keeping the teeth and gums clean and healthy. The leaf’s essential oil has been used as a local antiseptic and an insecticide.. A poultice of the leaves has been used for swollen glands, bruises and sprains. In tropical regions the bitter fresh leaf tea has been used as a folk medicine for malaria. The bark has been used as a drug in India since ancient times, for the treatment of malaria, jaundice and to expel worms, and to tan goat skins.

Azadirachta indica-9563