Kauaʻi record · kba_plant_melia_azedarach
Chinaberry / Pride of India
Melia azedarach
Open this record in the interactive Atlas
About Chinaberry / Pride of India
Melia azedarach is native from tropical and subtropical Asia to northern and eastern Australia and is introduced in Hawaiʻi. It readily escapes cultivation, spreads by seed, and resprouts after cutting or disturbance; dense stands can develop in disturbed and riparian habitat. Bishop Museum’s 2025 checklist documents naturalized presence on Kauaʻi; current extent remains unassessed.
Kauaʻi evidence
Bishop Museum 2025 Checklist wide: Taxon=Melia azedarach; Status=nat; K=K. Identification and ecological statements have the separately linked reviewed sources. The checklist establishes documented island presence; it does not establish current abundance or invasion extent.
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Melia azedarach
- Common names
- Chinaberry / Pride of India
- Other names
- chinaberry · chinaberrytree · pride-of-India · bead tree · Persian lilac · Melia azedarach · Chinaberry / Pride of India
- Record type
- species
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Recorded on Kauaʻi
- Origin
- Introduced
- Conservation status
- Invasive-species management concern
- Evidence date
- 2026-10-05
- Evidence limits
- Current extent and population trajectory require refreshed surveys; public occurrence is island level only.
Habitat and ecology
- Habitats
- Terrestrial / managed landscapes / native ecosystems
- Food and resource needs
- Taxon-specific requirements under review
- Reproduction
- Not yet assessed
- Shelter
- Terrestrial / managed landscapes / native ecosystems
- Growth form
- Tree
Threats and conservation
- Threats
- Terrestrial / managed landscapes / native ecosystems
- Conservation actions
- phase out horticultural use; prevent further spread; manage escapes
- Monitoring
- phase out horticultural use; prevent further spread; manage escapes
- Data gaps
- Live extent/status and canonical linkage must be refreshed against current Atlas/agency data before final public release. · Establishment requirements need review
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal timing
- Not yet assessed
- Seasonal description
- Melia azedarach is native from tropical and subtropical Asia to northern and eastern Australia and is introduced in Hawaiʻi. It readily escapes cultivation, spreads by seed, and resprouts after cutting or disturbance; dense stands can develop in disturbed and riparian habitat. Bishop Museum’s 2025 checklist documents naturalized presence on Kauaʻi; current extent remains unassessed.
Sources and further reading
- Invasive-species management source
- https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/melaze
- https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A578949-1/general-information
- https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A578949-1
- https://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/publications/pdf/tr75.pdf