Bead tree - Definition and Overview

Chinaberry or Bead Tree
Chinaberry in flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Sapindales Family: Meliaceae Genus: Melia Species: azedarach
Species
Melia azedarach

The Chinaberry or Bead Tree (Melia azedarach), is a small tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae, native to India and southern China, also occasionally known as Persian Lilac.

The flowers are pale purple, in clusters, the fruit marble-sized, light yellow at maturity, hanging on the tree all winter, gradually becoming almost white. The leaves have been used as a natural insecticide to keep with stored food, but must not be eaten as they are highly poisonous. The flowers are unattractive to bees and butterflies. All parts of the plant are poisonous to man if eaten, though some birds are able to eat the fruit, spreading the seeds in their droppings.

The hard, spherical seeds were widely used for making rosaries and other products requiring beads, before their replacement by modern plastics.

The plant is considered an invasive species in the southern United States, however nurseries continue to sell the trees, and seeds are also widely available.

The genus Melia includes four other species, occurring from southeast Asia to northern Australia. They are all deciduous or semi-evergreen small trees.

Example Usage of Bead