Neem

Azadirachta indica

Meliaceae

The village pharmacy tree of South Asia — a bitter leaf for skin and pests, and a seed oil that does not belong in a mug.

Traditional leaf and oil for skin and garden. Internal use of seed oil (azadirachtin) is unsafe. Not a daily tea.

Parts used: Leaf (external; traditional twig) · Seed oil (external / garden)
Traditional notes: Skin wash folklore · Garden pest spray · Traditional tooth twig
Grow · USDA 6b: Tropical tree, USDA 10–12; pot north Fresh seed or a nursery plant. In work: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
Harvest: Leaf as needed for a wash. Seed oil is an industry.

A pot tree for leaf. Oil from a labeled bottle.
This is not a tea plant.

Safety

Internal seed oil Pregnancy Infants internally

Lore

Sanskrit nimba. Gandhi wrote of the tooth twig. A UN report once called it the tree the world could not afford to ignore, which is how a village bitter became a pesticide patent fight. The seed is azadirachtin; the leaf is the gentler, older neighbor.

The Herbarium — a teaching catalog, not a clinic. Traditional use is history, not a prescription. USDA 6b dates are a week either way, not a promise. Do not eat, drink, or harvest a plant you cannot name.