Neem is believed to be a native of upper Burma and possibly to the Siwalik Deccan and
other parts of South India. The commercial use of neem was known from the Vedic period in
India over 4000 years B.C. and the domestic uses have been mentioned by Kautilya in his
Arthashastra (4th Century B.C.). Neem is recorded growing wild in the Siwalik hills and in the
dry forests of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Although not categorized of the
Himalaya. The tree has spread to Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia,
Thailand, Middle East, Sudan and Nigera.
cultivated in arid, semi-arid, wet-tropical, tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Indian
subcontinent. Such cultivated in arid, semi-arid, wet-tropical, tropical and sub-tropical
regions of the Indian subcontinent. Such a wide adaptation and tolerance to varied soil and
climatic conditions indicate its high degree of heterozygosity.heterozygosity.
Indian settlers have introduced neem in the
African countries. It is now abundant in the
tropical belt from Somalia in the east to
Mauritiana in the west. It was taken to Fiji
Islands and has spread from there to other
Island in the South Pacific. Neem is reported
to occur in Trinidad and other West Indian
Islands and also in some countries of
Central and South America. Large-scale
plantations of neem have come up in
Malaysia and the Philippines. About 50,000
neem trees have been planted outside
Mecca fro providing shade to Pilgrims.