1 Plant, 100 Uses explores the many ways familiar Indian plants, leaves, fruits and trees have been part of everyday life — from food and farming to homes, traditions and natural remedies. Each story takes one plant and uncovers the surprising ways people have found it useful, often across generations.

For generations, the neem tree has been part of everyday life across India.

It grows beside homes, along roads, around farms, and in village commons. Its shade is welcome in summer. People use its leaves at home, its twigs as natural toothbrushes, its seeds for oil, and its wood for everyday products.

The scientific name of neem is Azadirachta indica. The tree is native to the Indian subcontinent and has been used for centuries in agriculture, traditional medicine, household practices, and rural livelihoods.

The National Research Council’s book on neem documents uses for almost every part of the tree, from its leaves and seeds to its bark, flowers, fruit, and wood.

That is what makes neem special. It is not just a tree with one useful product. Its different parts have found different purposes.

The leaves protect more than they shade

Neem leaves are perhaps the part most familiar to Indian households.

People have traditionally placed dried leaves among stored grains and clothes to deter insects. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has also documented the use of dried neem leaves, neem kernel powder and neem oil in grain storage.

The leaves can also be made into extracts used in agriculture.

One of neem’s best-studied compounds is azadirachtin, which is found mainly in the seeds. It affects insects by interfering with feeding, growth, and development. Neem-based products are therefore used as part of integrated pest management.

A fallen neem leaf, in other words, can have a second life beyond the tree.

When the neem fruit ripens, its seeds can be........

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