Flower profile

Chinaberry

Melia azedarach

Introduced in the lower 48

Chinaberry is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

19states

3of our state lists

22,039U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, South Carolina, Texas

🚫

Regulated invasive plant in Texas. It's on that state' official invasive plant list (Texas: Invasive plant (sale and import prohibited)). Please don't plant or share it there. ^{4 TAC 19.300}

Quick look

Melia azedarach, commonly known as the chinaberry tree, pride of India, bead-tree, Cape lilac, syringa berrytree, Persian lilac, Indian lilac, or white cedar, is a species of deciduous tree in the mahogany family, Meliaceae, that is native to Indomalaya and Australasia.
From Wikipedia's article Melia azedarach, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Meliaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 19 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as not native to Alabama and South Carolina. ^NatureServe
In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. ^iNaturalist
In Alabama, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as purple. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as indeterminate. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 50 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 15,971 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #25 among the 109 flowers on our Texas list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 632 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #97 among the 111 flowers on our Alabama list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 574 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #55 among the 111 flowers on our South Carolina list. ^iNaturalist

State flower gift ideas

This one is a regulated invasive plant, so here are state flower gifts instead.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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State flower print
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Birth-flower necklace
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Wildflower seed favors
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Botanical tea towel
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Pressed-flower frame
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Flower-garden mug
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (378 records)

Bloom time in each of our 3 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Texas	–	March–April	15,971
Alabama	Introduced	April–May	632
South Carolina	Introduced	few records	574

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
Texas: Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe has no Texas rank for it. ^{31 TAC 69.8}
Alabama: No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Alabama.
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in South Carolina.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: medium). Poisonous parts: bark, flowers, fruits, leaves, roots, sap/juice, seeds, stems. Symptoms they list: “TOXIC ONLY IF LARGE QUANTITIES EATEN. Fruit and tea from leaves-- are poisonous to humans, some livestock, and mammals, including cats and dogs. Poisonous through ingestion. Symptoms post-consumption include stomach irritation, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody…” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsToxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Bead Tree” (Melia azedarach) lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Diarrhea, vomiting, salivation, depression, weakness, and seizures. Ripe fruit (berries) most toxic but also bark, leaves, and… ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records chinaberry in 19 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia.

Texas counties with USDA records: Anderson, Angelina, Bexar, Brazos, Brown, Cameron, Colorado, Comal, Dallas, Denton, Edwards, Erath, Fayette, Galveston, Harris, Hays, Hidalgo, Jefferson, Karnes, Llano, Madison, Marion, Maverick, McLennan, Nueces, Robertson, Rusk, San Patricio, Travis, Uvalde, Waller, Webb, Wilson, Yoakum, Zapata.

Alabama counties with USDA records: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Chilton, Clay, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, Dallas, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Houston, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Russell, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Wilcox.

South Carolina counties with USDA records: Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Cherokee, Chester, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Edgefield, Fairfield, Hampton, Jasper, Kershaw, Laurens, Lee, Lexington, Marion, McCormick, Newberry, Richland, Spartanburg, Sumter, Union.

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Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile MEAZ.
iNaturalist, Melia azedarach: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Melia azedarach (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Texas: Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Texas: Texas noxious and invasive plant list (4 Tex. Admin. Code § 19.300(a)).
Alabama: Alabama noxious weeds (Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-10-14-.04).
South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Melia azedarach (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Frances W via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.