Neem Tree (Azadirachta indica): How to Grow and Care for It in Jaipur

Neem is native to the Indian subcontinent and Myanmar, and it is at home in dry country. It does well where annual rainfall is 400–1,200 mm. Jaipur gets about 600–633 mm a year, comfortably inside that range. It thrives where daytime temperatures reach 50 °C, and Jaipur's record high is 48.5 °C.

Neem grows on neutral to alkaline soils up to about pH 10, including saline soils, and does better than most trees on shallow, stony, sandy ground, even over a hard kankar layer. Its deep roots draw water from lower soil layers, so it is drought-resistant once established.

There are two weak points. Neem quickly dies in waterlogged soil, and young plants are sensitive to frost. Jaipur's record low is −2.2 °C, and forestry trials at Jodhpur found frost damage on neem, so the first two winters need care.