1. Tree of northern India and China having purple blossoms and small inedible yellow fruits; naturalized in the southern United States as a shade tree
   "The chinaberry trees provided welcome shade in the southern garden";
   - chinaberry tree, China tree, Persian lilac, pride-of-India, azedarach, Melia azedarach
    
2. Evergreen of tropical America having pulpy fruit containing saponin which was used as soap by Native Americans
   "Indigenous people traditionally used chinaberry fruits as a natural soap";
   - China tree, false dogwood, jaboncillo, Sapindus saponaria

Derived forms: chinaberries

Type of: soapberry, soapberry tree, tree

Part of: genus Melia, genus Sapindus, Melia, Sapindus

Encyclopedia: Chinaberry