Melia azedarach

Medium-sized tree introduced in colonial times which offers good shade ; 5-8" long flower clusters (lilac-colored ; fragrant!) followed by small yellow berries used for beads ; rosaries; berries poisonous to pets ; kids. S/M

Yes, this is a tree in a 4” pot, but hey - we don’t have room for hundreds of trees in gallon pots & anyway, it’s a very fast grower. For a year, I drove past a mature specimen growing near the nursery in someone’s front yard & I was enthralled by its beauty & extremely fragrant flowering sprays. The owners only knew it was a “lilac,” though it certainly wasn’t a Syringa. Searching the Internet for “lilac” & “tree,” I was able to discover its identity & then found it was listed in “Sunset Garden Guide.” A very attractive deciduous tree to 20’ tall & wide with a beautiful form & pretty, dark green, pinnate leaves, it bears, in Spring, masses of huge panicles (at least 24” long) of very sweetly fragrant, lavender, 5-petaled star flowers. The stout trunk has bark similar to an oak & the wood is very hard & beautifully grained (it’s related to Mahogany). This is one beautiful, tough, pest free & drought tolerant tree, perfectly suited to our climate. An excellent street tree, too. Warning: May be invasive in the Southern U.S.