Texas Gardening: Texas Native Plant Pictures ( Trees ), 1 by htop

htop wrote:
Bead Tree, Persian Lilac, Pride of India, Pride of China, Chinaberry, Umbrella Tree, White Cedar, Paraiso, Indian Lilac, Lelah (Melia azedarach), Meliaceae Family, naturalized, deciduous, blooms from mid-spring through early summer, can be invasive

This tree prefers well drained, alkaline soils and is a very fast grower. I have many fond memories of the ones growing in my yard as a child. The blooms are beautiful and smell great. It has its drawbacks: the blooms and berries can make a mess when the fall, the limbs are brittle and break easily, suckers appear around its base, seeds itself prolifically, can be killed by root rot and is considered invasive in many locales.

For more information and great photos of the blooms and berries, see its entry in the PlantFiles:
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/51724/index.html

The shiny, deep green, delicate leafed chinaberry tree brings back found memories of my youth when my six brothers and I would have chinaberry fights when the berries turned green. The blooms are beautiful. A not so good photo of one growing on a creek bank ...