The healing tree

July 20, 8:12 AMSF Fitness ExaminerJim Evans

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 Most people have never heard of the Neem tree – probably because it is indigenous to India – but this remarkable evergreen has been around for thousands of years and is making inroads in California. Its medicinal healing properties have been recorded back as far as 4000 B.C., and in fact, it has been often called “the village pharmacy” because of its mutiple uses in the treatment of everything from conjunctivitis to to hemorroids.

The Neem is a tall tree - growing typically to a height of 60-80 feet - and is mostly grown as a shade tree in its native India rather than in the forest. It is a flowering tree – usually producing white, honey-scented flowers between February and May – and produces a bitter but colorful fruit. The Neem can also be grown as a house plant where it will only grow as large as the pot in which it is planted. It has a strong root system and grows well in sand, clay, or saline soil and has already been successfully introduced to parts of California with good results.

It can tolerate extreme temperatures well but does not usually survive frost or cold temperatures for very long, so mountainous areas would likely not support a population of Neems. I can personally attest to this as I planted four Neem trees on my property in Ramona, California (30 miles east of San Diego) several years ago. Three of them succombed to the frost within the first two years, but the fourth continues to thrive and has probably reached the maturity to be able to survive any future extremes in temperature.

Medical Uses:  Everything about the Neem – from the bark to the roots - seems to offer some home remedy. For example, it is said that chewing the leaves of the Neem protects the body from diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes and encourages immunity to certain skin ailments. Various formulations of neem leaves can be also be used topically for the treatment of skin conditions such as herpes, psoraisis, chicken pox, and measles, and it has been successfully used to treat hair loss and premature graying. Neem has also proved to be effective in the treatment of head lice, ringworm, and athlete’s foot.

Mixtures of juice from neem leaves can be used as eye drops to treat conjunctivitis and ear drops to reduce inflammation. Mixed with ginger juice and taken internally, the juice can relieve painful menstrual cramps. Powder from the seeds, mixed with alum has been used as an effective toothpaste, and green neem twigs have been used as toothsticks or toothbrushes.

Neem is also a very effective topical insect repellent which leads to another category.

Pest Control: Extracts from the Neem have long been used as a natural pesticide influencing more than 200 species of insects including grasshoppers, crickets, aphids, beetles, moths, flies, threadworms, ants, cockroaches, mosqiuitos, fruit flies, snails, and a host of other insect pests. Surprisingly, it does not have a deleterious effect on earthworms (in fact, it actually increases the earthworm population) and other beneficial insects such as honeybees and spiders.

The use of neem extracts does not always have an immediate “kill factor” with regard to pests like most conventional commercial insecticides but, rather, it works more slowly by sterilizing the adult insects to prevent reproduction and generally repelling both the larvae and adults of different insect species from feeding on plants and crops. More important, perhaps, is that neem products are natural. They are biodegradable and non-toxic to humans, animals, and birds so they are safe to use around livestock and pets. Neem products also do not require protective clothing or masks to apply.

Plant Viruses and Fungi:  Neem products have also been used successfully in the treatment of certain plant diseases such as yellow mosaic of grain legumes, ragged-stunt virus (rice), tungo virus (also rice), and others. And, while they cannot kill fungi, neem products protect seeds against fungal diseases and prevent the formation of additional fungi.

Sound too good to be true!?! Well, Neem products are now being mixed with kelp fiber (see “Fighting Wildfires with Dirt – Increasing Moisture Rentention with Kelp Soil Amendments,” RHJ, December 2004, Vo. 7, No. 9, pp. 38-39) to both enhance the growth of plants and protect them from pests and disease at the same time - Mother Nature joining with Mother Nature to make things even better. Additional research and information about the remarkable Neem Tree can be found  Neem America (neemamerica.com/).