How to Grow Bakain Tree (Dharek): Seed, Roots and Berry Warning
Bakain is the easiest shade tree you will ever grow, and that is part of the problem. To grow a bakain tree, sow the cleaned stones from ripe berries in spring or plant a nursery sapling, give it sun, and it will give you shade within a few summers and fragrant lilac flowers every March. But its yellow berries are poisonous, it seeds itself everywhere, and it is often confused with neem. Read the safety part before you plant it near children.
In brief
- Names: bakain, dharek, Persian lilac, chinaberry; Melia azedarach
- Not neem: neem is Azadirachta indica, a different tree
- Size: about 9 to 12 m tall and as wide
- Growth: rapid
- Flowers: lilac, scented, in spring; berries hang yellow through winter
- Toxic: all parts, especially the berries, for people, dogs and cats
- Distance from house: at least 5 to 6 m on clay, 3 m from paving
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Bakain or neem: how do you tell them apart?
This matters, because people use neem leaves and twigs at home and occasionally grab bakain by mistake.
| Feature | Bakain (dharek) | Neem |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Twice divided: many small leaflets on side stalks | Once divided: one row of leaflets either side |
| Flowers | Lilac with a purple centre | Small, white |
| Fruit | Round, yellow, hard, stays on the bare tree in winter | Oval, green to yellow, soft |
| Winter | Drops all leaves | Mostly evergreen in the plains |
If you are not sure, do not use it. Never use bakain berries, leaves or oil the way neem is used.
Where does bakain grow well?
| Zone | Verdict | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Punjab plains (Lahore, Faisalabad, Delhi) | Maybe | Thrives; plant only where berries will not reach children or pets |
| Sub humid (Islamabad, Peshawar) | Maybe | Hardy to winter cold; same safety caveat |
| Hot dry (Multan, Bahawalpur, Sukkur) | Maybe | Tough in heat with some water; good for farm shade |
| Coastal humid (Karachi) | Maybe | Grows, less vigorously in salty soil |
| Home with toddlers or dogs | Skip | Berries drop for months and are attractive to small hands |
Its best place is a farm boundary, a dera, or a large plot where fallen fruit can be swept up and nobody small is playing beneath it.
How to grow bakain from seed
- In winter, collect fully ripe, wrinkled yellow berries from the tree. Wear gloves and wash your hands after.
- Soak the berries in water for a day or two, then rub off the pulp to get the hard, ridged stones.
- Sow each stone about 2 cm deep in a bag of soil, sand and compost in equal parts, in February to March.
- Keep moist in sun. Several seedlings can come from one stone; keep the strongest.
- Plant out the following spring or after the monsoon, when it is knee to waist high.
It also sprouts from cuttings and root suckers, but seed is so easy that few people bother. Keep the stones out of reach of children while you work.
The step that keeps it from spreading
Bakain seeds itself into flower beds, drains and neighbours’ plots because birds eat the berries. Each winter, sweep up the fallen fruit and pull every seedling under the tree while it is still small enough to come out by hand. NC State lists it as invasive across much of the American south, and the same habit shows up in Pakistani gardens: neglected, one tree becomes a thicket.
How far should bakain be from walls and pipes?
It is not a notorious foundation tree, but it is a fast, fair sized one. The RHS general rules for trees near buildings: roots can spread up to three times the tree’s height; on shrinkable clay, drying is unlikely to reach beyond half the height for average water demand trees; leaking drains attract roots.
- House on clay or old shallow footings: at least 5 to 6 m.
- Boundary wall, paving: at least 3 m.
- Septic tank, sewer line: 4 m or more, and fix leaking joints.
How fast does bakain grow, and how tall?
Fast. NC State calls it a rapid grower, 30 to 40 feet tall and as wide, which is about 9 to 12 m. In the plains a sapling commonly makes useful shade within a few years. It lives shorter than shisham or neem and gets untidy with age.
Best time to plant a bakain tree
February to March before the leaves come, or July to August with the monsoon. Dig a pit about 60 cm wide and deep, mix the soil with a third compost, plant at bag depth, water deeply and mulch.
Care for the first two years
- Water: twice a week in the first summer, weekly in the second; every two weeks in winter. In Multan’s 45C spells, add an extra soak. See how often to water in summer and winter.
- Feeding: compost or well rotted cow dung in spring is plenty; see organic feeds for plants.
- Shaping: in late winter, keep one main stem and remove low side branches gradually to lift the crown above head height.
- Frost: mature trees are cold hardy; young ones lose leaves early, which is normal.
Pests and problems
Few serious ones. Leaves can be chewed by caterpillars in summer; a young tree recovers on its own. Sooty black film means sap sucking insects; hose them off on young trees. Large trees do drop branches in storms, so remove weak or split limbs early.
Every part of bakain is poisonous if chewed or swallowed, and the berries are the most dangerous. Small amounts usually cause vomiting and diarrhoea within an hour, sometimes later; larger amounts can cause weakness, seizures and breathing trouble. Dogs and cats are also at risk. If a child eats any berries, wipe out the mouth, let them rinse and spit, and call a poison information service or go straight to the nearest emergency department; do not wait for symptoms. Never use bakain leaves, berries or oil in place of neem. Our list of poisonous plants for kids and pets covers kaner and others. People with spring allergies can check the pollen calendar.
Bakain tree questions
Is bakain the same as neem?
No. Bakain (Melia azedarach) and neem (Azadirachta indica) are related trees in the same family, but bakain berries are poisonous and must not be used like neem.
Are bakain berries poisonous?
Yes. All parts are toxic, the berries most of all, to people, dogs and cats. Treat any swallowed berry as an emergency call.
How fast does a bakain tree grow?
Very fast for a shade tree. A sapling usually gives real shade within a few summers in the plains.
How tall does a bakain tree grow?
Usually around 9 to 12 m, with a crown about as wide as it is tall.
Do bakain roots damage houses?
It is not known as a wall breaker, but surface roots lift paving and roots enter leaking drains. Keep it 5 to 6 m from the house on clay.
How do I grow bakain from seed?
Soak ripe berries, rub off the pulp, and sow the hard stones 2 cm deep in February or March. Germination is usually easy.
When does bakain flower in Pakistan?
In spring, mostly March to April in the Punjab plains, with lilac scented clusters as new leaves appear.
Is bakain a good tree for a small house?
Usually not, because of its size and the poisonous berries that fall for months. A crape myrtle or bottlebrush suits small plots better.
Why does bakain lose all its leaves in winter?
It is deciduous. The bare branches with hanging yellow berries are normal from December to February.
More shade and flowering trees, with their safety notes, are in Phool aur Paudhe; for small plots see our crape myrtle guide.