Neem Trees
V381::OSTAFFE
Recently I have seen a lot of hype about Neem trees and how they
are a tropical evergreen tree of environmental promise. I do not
know much else. Will they survive in South Florida? Are they
worth growing? Why are they considered an environmental promise?
Jay Ostaffe
ostaffe%v381....@npt.nuwc.navy.mil
William Glover
>Recently I have seen a lot of hype about Neem trees and how they
Jay Ostaffe,
As the Neem is a very adaptable, fast-growing, drought-resistant, tall and
handsome evergreen shade tree, it is useful for reforestation on a variety
of soils. A constituent of the seed, chemically known as azadirachtin, is
highly effective against virtually all chewing, biting, and sucking insects
that afflict plants, e.g. aphids, whitefly, mealybugs, caterpillars.
Azadirachtin is now being extracted commercially from Neem seed and
marketed as a spray concentrate in North America (with EPA approval) and
the UK under such trade names as Margosan-O, BioNEEM, and Neemix. Not
inexpensive to date, but it does work and is innocuous (so far as yet
known) to birds and mammals. The LD50 rating is >13,000.
The Neem is native to the Indian subcontinent where branches long have been
hung in village granaries to ward off insect predators. All parts of the
tree have been used for centuries in folk medicines to treat a great many
different ailments of man and beast. Sounds like the perfect plant, but in
hospitable soils and climates it escapes easily and can become invasive.
Probably would do well in southern Florida if not already there. Have about
20 Neem trees and would be glad to send seeds when next available to anyone
furnishing a conventional mailing address. Once harvested, however, the
viability of the seeds is brief.
Warm regards,
William Glover email:
wmgl...@pipeline.com
Mango Corners, Jones Estate fax: 809-469-0119
NEVIS, West Indies
c. richter
V381::OSTAFFE <OSTAFFE%V381....@npt.nuwc.navy.mil> wrote:
>Does anyone know anything about Neem trees (Azadirachta indica).
>Recently I have seen a lot of hype about Neem trees and how they
>are a tropical evergreen tree of environmental promise. I do not
>know much else. Will they survive in South Florida? Are they
>worth growing? Why are they considered an environmental promise?
Neem does not tolerate any frost, but if large enough it will grow
back from a damaging frost to some extent. There are people growing
it now in FL and CA. Seeds are available from Richters at email
71550...@compuserve.com.
Unknown
wonderful tree - World Bank, Wash. D.C. has a number of publications on them
and their wonders (sort of like aspirin to the environment a real wonder
plant!).
In message <940924195...@inet-gw-1.pa.dec.com>,
OSTAFFE%V381....@npt.nuwc.navy.mil ("V381::OSTAFFE") writes:
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>From: OSTAFFE%V381....@npt.nuwc.navy.mil ("V381::OSTAFFE")
>Message-ID: <940924195...@inet-gw-1.pa.dec.com>
>Subject: Neem Trees
>Date: 24 Sep 94 15:53:00 EDT
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>Does anyone know anything about Neem trees (Azadirachta indica).
>Recently I have seen a lot of hype about Neem trees and how they
>are a tropical evergreen tree of environmental promise. I do not
>know much else. Will they survive in South Florida? Are they
>worth growing? Why are they considered an environmental promise?
>
>Jay Ostaffe
>ostaffe%v381....@npt.nuwc.navy.mil
>
BMcW
OSTAFFE%V381....@npt.nuwc.navy.mil ("V381::OSTAFFE") writes:
>Does anyone know anything about Neem trees (Azadirachta indica).
I believe these trees are the source of Neem extract, which is lately
being marketed as a "natural" insecticide and repellent by such companies
as Safer. I tried some of the stuff in my garden; got mixed results for
much $$$.
Brian
Durham, NH -Zone 5